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Resident Evil
By Paul W. S. Anderson
2000
IF THE SUSPENSE DOESN’T KILL YOU
SOMETHING ELSE WILL
CLOSE ON GLASS VIALS
being lifted from a large medical refrigerator. Gloved hands slip them into a foam lined carry case. The vials are delicate. Filled with a cool blue liquid.
The hands move quickly. Urgently.
INT. OFFICE
Sleek, super hi—tech. The blinds are closed. Can’t tell if it’s day or night.
Typists type. Assistants assist.
Busy worker bees.
INT. LAB
Same building. Same busy bees.
Lab technicians and scientists in clean white suits.
Working hard, advancing science, making life better.
INT. ELEVATOR
Worker bees and science bees chat and flirt.
Life is good.
INT. SECURITY ROOM
Dozens of metal cages line the walls. Guard dogs.
A sleek black DOBERMAN sniffs the air.
Begins to bark.
CLOSE ON GLASS VIALS
as the last one is lifted from the refrigerator. But in their haste, the gloved hands let the vial slip.
The delicate glass tube tumbles end over end. And crashes to the floor.
CLOSE ON THE FLOOR
covered in shards of glass and blue liquid.
2
INT. OFFICE
A pretty secretary in her cubicle. LISA. A cute paperweight on her desk:
“LOVE IS .... NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU’RE SORRY”
She cradles the phone, whispering, not wanting to be overheard. In front of her sits a carry case for glass vials. Similar in design to the one we have already seen, but this one is empty. LISA toys with it nervously.
LISA
I went to the pick up, but there was nothing there .... no serum, no nothing.
(looks around nervously)
I’m worried.
(hesitates)
Easy for you to say, I’m the one in here!
A fire alarm sounds.
LISA almost jumps out of her skin. All around the worker bees look up from their computer screens. In an orderly fashion, they take their jackets from the backs of their seats and head for the door.
Been through this drill a hundred times before.
LISA (cont’d)
(relieved)
I’ve got to go. It’s nothing .... fire drill. Meet me tonight .... the usual place.
INT. LAB
The men and women of science look up from their experiments. Annoyed at the disturbance. A scientist with GREEN eyes lowers her face mask.
GREEN
(sighs)
Another day, another drill.
A lab technician with BLUE eyes hands GREEN her coat.
BLUE
Come on.
He looks down at GREEN'S work. A half dissected white rabbit.
3
INT. ELEVATOR
The elevator stops. A young man seems confused. He wears a GREY suit which looks brand new.
GREY
What is that?
A kindly woman in a BLACK skirt and jacket smiles.
BLACK
Fire alarm new boy. We’re going to have to take the stairs.
INT. OFFICE
A crowd that has formed by the doors. LISA is amongst them. A man in a crisp WHITE shirt pushes his way to the front. He’s handsome. Looks like he works out.
WHITE
What’s the matter?
A woman with long GOLD hair smiles coyly at him. Playing helpless. We smell office flirtation in the air.
GOLD
The doors won’t open.
INT. SECURITY ROOM
The guard dogs are in frenzy. Barking and snarling. Throwing themselves against the cage doors. Sensing that something is wrong. A uninformed guard attempts to calm them. His badge identifies him as CLARENCE.
CLARENCE
Easy there .... easy there boys!
INT. LAB
The overhead sprinklers go off, showering the science bees with freezing cold water.
BLUE
Damn It! What happened to the halon system?
GREEN
Quick get something over the experiments!
4
CONTINUED:
She sees her hand written notes by the white rabbit. Already the ink has run. They’re ruined.
GREEN (cont’d)
Great.
A lab technician with chocolate BROWN eyes stands by the big glass doors that lead out.
BROWN
The doors won’t open.
GREEN
Forget the doors. Get those slides in a safe place.
INT. ELEVATOR
The elevator is still stopped.
GREY
(worried)
Shouldn’t the doors open or something?
BLACK
It’s supposed take us to the nearest floor.
Then the lights go out.
GREY
(very worried)
Is that supposed to happen?
INT. OFFICE
The worker bees are starting to panic. LISA is amongst them.
LISA
What about the doors at the back?
WHITE
Locked as well.
Without warning the Halon system goes off. Pillars of high-pressure gas flood into the room, sucking the oxygen out of the air, making it impossible for a fire to breathe. A fire. Or people.
The worker bees begin to choke.
5
INT. ELEVATOR
The emergency lights have activated. Their surreal red glow makes everything seem ten times worse.
GREY
(rising panic)
What’s going on? Has this happened before? We have to get out of here!
BLACK
Quiet.
GREY
What?
BLACK
Quiet!
They hear a distant roaring sound. Rapidly approaching, like an express train.
GREY
What is that?
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
The stalled car is in the foreground. Beyond it, we see that the shaft is wide enough for another two elevators. Out here, the roaring sound is even louder.
The roaring reaches a crescendo and the source of the noise races past in a blur. It’s another elevator. In free—fall.
Inside it, people are screaming.
INT. ELEVATOR
CLOSE on Black as she realizes what the sound is.
BLACK
Oh my god!
Then the elevator drops. Like a stone.
INT. LAB
Water is still pouring from the sprinkler system. GREEN waves hopelessly at a close circuit camera mounted in the ceiling. We see her image reflected in the lens.
6
CONTINUED:
GREEN
There’s no fire here! No fire!
BLUE
You know this water isn’t going anywhere.
GREEN looks down at the floor. The water level is rising.
BLUE (cont’d)
This is a sealed room.
Suddenly things become more urgent.
GREEN
We have to get these doors open.
INT. ELEVATOR
The car is in free—fall. People are screaming. A man has wet himself.
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
The emergency brakes kick in. One on each corner of the car. Sparks fly. Metal screams.
INT. ELEVATOR
The car shudders to a halt. People sprawled on the floor. Crying.
INT. LAB
The water is rising.
GREEN and Blue struggle with the door. Without warning a chair bounces violently off the labs glass window, just missing GREEN. The glass isn’t scratched.
GREEN (cont’d)
Jesus! What the hell are you doing?
BROWN advances on the glass with a fire axe.
BROWN
Stand clear!
BLUE
Stop!
BROWN halts. Holding the fire axe aggressively. Ready for a fight.
7
CONTINUED:
BLUE (cont’d)
Use the other side.
He indicates the other side of the axe head. A single steel point. Sharp as an ice pick.
BLUE (cont’d)
Better chance of getting through it.
BROWN hefts the axe and strikes the window with as much force as he can.
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE LAB
The axe penetrates the glass. Just. A pea sized piece of glass pops out and bounces across the floor.
INT. OFFICE
The Halon system switches itself off. The worker bees lie sprawled across the floor. Sprawled across their desks, Sprawled across one another. Not one moves.
THE HIVE is dead.
CLOSE ON LISA
amongst the bodies, still and lifeless.
INT. HALL WAY
Three shiny steel doors stand at the centre of the hallway. Bodies are everywhere. Killed as they waited for an elevator.
The eerie silence is broken by a scratching sound. One of the elevator doors pops open an inch. Hands force their way out.
INT. ELEVATOR
The car has stopped between floors. BLACK has to lie on the carpeting to peer out of the gap in the elevator doors.
BLACK
My God!
8
CONTINUED:
GREY
Let me see.
He too sees the bodies in the hallway.
GREY (cont’d)
We have to get out of here. We have to get out of this building.
A man with RED tie tries to force the doors open wider.
RED
Here .... give me a hand.
GREY
That’s as far as they’ll go.
RED
They’re caught on something.
BLACK
That’s wide enough.
She takes her jacket off.
BLACK (cont’d)
I think I can squeeze through.
She gets down on her knees in front of the doors. The gap is barely 18 inches. It’s going to be tight.
BLACK (cont’d)
I’ll get help.
INT. HALLWAY
BLACK squeezes her head through the doors, She’s a slim woman, but the gap between the elevator floor and the top of the doorway is also very narrow. Even if she gets out, she’s going to have to drop six feet to the floor.
BLACK
I’m stuck .... you’re going to have to push.
She inches through a little more.
BLACK (cont’d)
That’s it. A bit more.
INT. ELEVATOR
CRACK! A sharp metallic sound echoes around the car.
9
CONTINUED:
GREY
What is that?
INT. ELEVATOR SHAFT
The roof of the elevator. Only three of the four emergency brakes are now holding on. CRACK! Another brake unhooks. All by itself.
INT. ELEVATOR
RED
Oh Christ! It’s the brakes.
GREY begins to push frantically at BLACK. Still trapped half in and half out of the elevator.
GREY
Get out! We’ve got to get out.
BLACK
I can’t .... I’m stuck!
CRACK! The third brake goes.
RED
Push her out of the way .... we have to get out.
BLACK
I can’t move!
CRACK! The last brake unhooks. The car begins to drop again.
INT. HALLWAY
BLACK'S P.O.V. We see the floor of the hallway race up at her head. The concrete lip is going to decapitate her. She screams. And at the moment of impact we ....
SMASH CUT TO:
CLOSE UP EYES
Blue eyes snap open. Woken from a bad dream. WIDEN to reveal a woman’s face to go with the eyes. It’s not perfection, but it’s close. We’ll call her ALICE.
10
INT. BEDROOM DAY.
ALICE sits up. Looks around. Four poster bed, oak paneled walls, painting of George Washington. Through the window she sees the ornate grounds of a manor house. There’s even a maze. This could be the 19th maybe even 18th Century.
ALICE steps out of bed. She’s twenty one. Naked. I take it back, she is perfection.
Something tumbles from the bedclothes and lands on the floor. ALICE picks it up. A handwritten note:
“TODAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE”
ALICE shakes her head. She moves through the room like someone who doesn’t know where she is. She stops in front of a full length mirror. Stares at her own naked body. Touches it. Like it was all strange to her. Like she doesn’t know who she is.
ALICE stands before an ancient wooden dresser with three drawers. She opens them one at a time.
The first contains crisp starched linens.
The second, neatly ironed women’s underwear. Very white, very conservative.
The third, a pair of Uzis with laser sighting, under-slung with miniature grenade launchers.
ALICE stares at the weaponry. The look on her face says it all. Who am I?
INT. MANSION — ENTRANCE HALLWAY DAY.
ALICE descends a sweeping staircase. She’s found some clothes. A tight pair of ski pants and a T—shirt. They fit like they’re hers, but she can’t remember ever having worn them.
The hallway is luxurious and tasteful. Tapestries and paintings of old relatives that ALICE doesn’t recognize adorn the walls. But this isn’t a quaint old house. There’s something in the air.
Something intangible. Something evil.
11
INT. MANSION - DINING ROOM DAY.
The table is set for dinner, but there are no guests. No sign of life.
Creepy.
INT. MANSION — STUDY DAY.
A dark oak lined study. The only sound is the ticking of a grandfather clock. ALICE takes a framed photograph train the desk. It’s of her and a handsome man. They are standing in front of rose bushes in the garden. He has his arm around her. He wears a wedding ring.
ALICE looks at her own hand. She too wears a sample gold band. This man is her husband?
A sudden shadow falls across the desk. ALICE jumps, startled. Something is moving out in the garden.
ALICE
Hello!
ALICE seems surprised by the sound of her own voice. So that’s what she sounds like.
EXT. MANSION — GARDENS - DUSK
ALICE emerges from the study. In front of her is a huge marble statue. A series of bizarre gothic characters dancing round a maypole. A walrus wearing a waistcoat, a rabbit carrying a pocket watch, a bald beaded knight in armor. Both beautiful and also strangely unsettling.
In the distance, she sees movement at the entrance to the ornate hedge maze.
ALICE
Hello!
But there’s no reply. In the distance the sky is starting to darken.
EXT. MAZE - DUSK
ALICE is following someone or something deeper and deeper into the maze. Dusk is turning rapidly to night, and the shadows within the maze are beginning to deepen. With every corner ALICE turns, the tension mounts.
12
EXT. MAZE — CENTER - DUSK
ALICE is about to turn back when she suddenly stumbles upon the middle of the maze. At the very center point is a chair. And in the chair, a man sitting with his back to her.
ALICE
Hello.
The man doesn’t reply.
ALICE (cont’d)
I’m not sure if I belong here.
ALICE cautiously approaches him.
ALICE (cont’d)
I woke up .... and I can’t remember.
The man still doesn’t speak. Doesn’t even move. She reaches out to touch his shoulder.
MACE (cont’d)
Are you alright?
He is cold to her touch. Very cold.
ALICE (cont’d)
I ....
THE CAMERA tracks around to reveal that she has her hand on the shoulder of a statue. ALICE sighs. With relief. With embarrassment. The statue is of an old man with a top bat in his lap. The hat has a price tag — “In This style 12/6”.
MATT (V.0.)
Freeze! Don’t move.
The sudden voice SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF US.
MATT (cont’d)
Now put your hands on the chair. Do it!
ALICE does it. This guy sounds tough.
MATT (cont’d)
What are you doing here?
MATT frisks her. We still haven’t seen his face.
ALICE
I think I live here.
13
CONTINUED:
MATT (O.S.)
You think.
ALICE
I just woke up .... I don’t remember anything.
MATT (O.S.)
You’re clean. Turn around.
ALICE finally sees him. Smart blue uniform, fresh faced. Not what she was expecting.
ALICE
You’re a little young for a policeman aren't you?
MATT
I get a lot of that.
He holsters his gun.
MATT (cont’d)
Who else is in the house?
ALICE
No one .... but I didn’t look everywhere.
MATT starts to head back to the mansion.
MATT
Come on .... I got a call to check the place out.
Below MATT'S police badge is the name of a town - RACCOON CITY.
ALICE
Where is that?
MATT
What?
ALICE
The town.
MATT
You’re kidding right?
ALICE shakes her head.
MATT (cont’d)
It’s just over that hill.
14
CONTINUED:(2)
ALICE is still none the wiser.
MATT (cont’d)
You really don’t know anything do you?
EXT. MANSION — GARDENS - NIGHT
The two walk back to the house.
ALICE
What were you doing in the maze?
MATT
Thought I saw someone.
MATT looks up at the mansion. We get the feeling he wants to change the subject.
MATT (cont’d)
How can you live here? Place looks haunted.
ALICE
Wait.
MATT
What?
ALICE turns to face the dark sky. A sudden breeze blows through her hair.
ALICE
Do you hear that?
The breeze intensifies and for a moment the night sky is blocked out. Above them, a dark void, twin rotors chopping silently through the night air. A Darkwing helicopter on stealth mode. It disappears over the roof of the mansion, losing altitude, coming in for a landing.
ALICE (cont’d)
You call for back up?
MATT
No.
INT. MANSION - ENTRANCE HALLWAY NIGHT.
MATT and ALICE race through the house. Through the windows they can see the Darkwing squatting on the lawn. They are halfway to the entrance when the doors are almost blown off their hinges.
15
CONTINUED:
A dozen COMMANDOS stream in. A tight, disciplined group, dressed in black and armed to the teeth. If you find guns and body armor sexy, you just came.
They don’t ask ALICE and MATT to get to the floor. They just knock them down. Within seconds MATT has been relieved of his badge and gun.
One of the COMMANDOS, TWELVE, slides an ancient oak panel to one side, revealing a computer jack point. He flips up the screen on his sleek wrist computer and jacks in.
The leader of the Away Team stands above ALICE. Granite jaw, gravel voice, Alpha Dog Number ONE.
ONE
Report.
ALICE
(confused)
What?
ONE
I want your report soldier.
ALICE
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
TWELVE
Sir.
TWELVE looks up from his computer. Floating an inch above it is a detailed holographic schematic of the mansion. As the schematic slowly revolves, a flashing text streamer reads:
LOOKING GLASS HOUSE - STATUS - DEFENSIVE
TWELVE (cont’d)
The house’s primary defenses have been activated. She’s probably still suffering the side effects.
ONE
Very well.
He snatches MATT'S badge and tosses it to TWELVE.
ONE (cont’d)
What about the cop?
TWELVE enters MATT'S badge number into his computer. The holographic Schematic of Looking Glass House is replaced by the names and badge numbers of all the local police.
16
CONTINUED:(2)
TWELVE
(shakes his head)
I’m not getting verification.
ONE
(to Matt)
Who are you?
MATT
I’m a cop .... a local cop.
TWELVE
No sir.
ONE takes out his sidearm. Points it straight at MATT.
MATT
I just transferred! I’m a rookie .... first day. They probably don’t even have me on file yet.
ONE turns to his subordinate.
ONE
Well?
TWELVE
(shrugs)
The locals are inefficient. It’s possible
ONE lowers his gun. MATT remembers to breathe.
ONE
Print him.
Two COMMANDOS grab MATT. They extend his right hand and hold it rigid. TWELVE uses a tiny laser scanner to take MATT'S fingerprints.
MATT
You can’t do this... this is an invasion of my civil liberties!
TWELVE
Blow me.
MATT struggles, but to no avail.
J.D.
(to Alice)
Nice ass!
17
CONTINUED:(3)
One of the COMMANDOS is staring at her ass.
ALICE
(shocked)
What!
Another Commando, a woman, intervenes.
RAIN
Go easy on Sleeping Beauty. She’s lost her memory.
J.D.
(bragging)
No woman forgets me.
RAIN
Sure...once they’ve seen how tiny you are, how could they?
J.D.
Fuck you.
RAIN
Already did. I think I slept through it.
ALICE
(bewildered)
Who are you people?
J.D. slaps his chest.
J.D.
J.D. Nelson at your service, and this fine figure of a woman is Rain.
RAIN
Parents were hippies .... my revenge was to enlist.
ALICE
(disbelief)
You people are the military?
RAIN
(laughs)
Not quite.
ALICE
Then who are you?
18
CONTINUED:(4)
J.D.
You loose your eyesight as well as your memory gorgeous?
He points to the badge on his flak jacket. It reads: SANITATION.
RAIN
We clean up the mess that others leave behind.
TWELVE (O.S.)
I got him!
TWELVE'S computer spits out details on MATT. The list is long.
TWELVE (cont’d)
(surprised)
Jesus, this guy’s got red flags everywhere. Quantico, Vicap, he’s on all the data banks. Matthew Frost, a.k.a. Matthew Pryce, Matthew Wayne, Matt Zabrowaki.
ONE
(to Matt)
Who the fuck are you cowboy?
MATT doesn’t reply.
TWELVE
This guy’s a real activist, Wanted for multiple counts of Eco terrorism. He’s sabotaged seal culls, oil refineries, whale hunts, animal testing labs, chemical weapons plants, nuclear facilities .... the list goes on.
ONE
You got something to do with what’s going on here?
MATT
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
ONE
Sure you don’t.
He nods to J.D. and Rain.
ONE (cont’d)
Cuff him.
19
CONTINUED:(5)
They force MATT to his knees and secure his hands behind his back.
J.D.
Should I secure him here?
ONE
No .... he may not be alone, We take him with us.
ONE turns to face the team.
ONE (cont’d)
Prep for entry to the Hive.
EXT. DARKWING - NIGHT
Its cargo unloaded, the helicopter rises back up into the night sky.
INT. DARICWING — COCKPIT NIGHT.
The PILOT is bathed in the cool green wash of the H.U.D. The team leader’s voice comes through with digital clarity.
ONE (O.S.)
This is Alpha. Team preparing for entry to the Hive. We’ll be out of contact till we secure a hard wire.
PILOT
Roger sir.
INT. MANSION — ENTRANCE HALLWAY NIGHT.
TWELVE flips open a tile on the intricate floor mosaic. Reveals another jack point.
ONE
(to Alice)
Sit on the floor.
She sits down beside MATT. His hands are tightly manacled. Bruises already starting to show.
MATT
Nice friends you have.
TWELVE watches the scrolling holographic numbers that hover above his computer.
20
CONTINUED:
TWELVE
Entry to the Hive in three...two... one.
FROM ABOVE we see the pattern on the floor. A giant Art Deco spiral that suddenly begins to move. Arms of the spiral starting to unlock as a huge chunk of the floor begins to sink beneath the ground.
ALICE watches amazed as the floor they are sitting on slips gracefully beneath the earth. Ancient wood paneled walls being replaced with polished high tech steel plates.
ALICE
What the hell is going on here?
MATT
(cynical)
Mostly it’s bad...all of it’s illegal.
J.D.
Shut it!
MATT does as he’s told. ALICE gets to her feet and approaches the team leader.
ALICE
(unsure)
Sir?
ONE
What is it soldier?
ALICE
How deep are we going?
ONE
Right to the bottom.
ALICE
And when we get there?
ONE
We’re going to see the Queen. And then kill her.
INT. DARKWTNG - COCKPIT NIGHT.
The Pilot sets a clock on the H.U.D. to 03 hours 00 minutes. The numbers begin to count down. He picks up his mic, but waits till the H.U.D. reads SECURE before sending a message.
21
CONTINUED:
PILOT
Darkwing to White Queen .... Alpha Team has entered the Hive. All communications down. Awaiting hard wire response.
WHITE QUEEN (O.S.)
Roger Darkwing. The clock is running.
INT. CAVERN NIGHT.
The platform carrying ALICE and the Sanitation Team comes to rest in a vast underground cavern. This is a natural creation, but the hand of man is everywhere. As well as the hydraulics for the platform, there are also several temporary structures used for storage.
A set of runway lights are laid out on the stone floor. They lead to a pair of thick steel doors set in the cavern walls. The doors bear the logo of the UMBRELLA CORPORATION.
ONE glances at the digital counter on his left wrist. It reads 02:58:24. we see that the rest of the team carry identical timepieces. The seconds are ticking away.
ONE
Move out!
Lying halfway between the platform and the doors is the body of a man called SPENCE. ALICE immediately recognizes him from the photograph in the study. The man with his arm around her. The man that wears her ring.
ALICE
Oh my God ....it’s my husband.
J.D.
(laughs)
He’s not your husband.
ONE
Life signs?
MEDIC
Affirmative. He must have caught a dose of gas topside .... passed out by the time he made it down here.
ONE
Bring him round.
The MEDIC snaps a plastic vial under SPENCE'S nose. He comes round instantly.
22
CONTINUED:
SPENCE
What?
MEDIC
Lie still, Watch this light. Follow it.
The Medic runs through a standard set of tests. SPENCE follows them without fail.
MEDIC (cont’d)
Now how many fingers am I holding up?
SPENCE
Three.
MEDIC
Raise your left hand. Good. Now tell me your name.
SPENCE
I...I can’t remember.
MEDIC
He’s fine. Memory loss, just like the other.
By now ALICE is looking as confused as SPENCE.
ALICE
But if he’s not my husband ....then who is he?
She hold up her wedding ring.
ALICE (cont’d)
And what about this?
INT. CAVERN - LATER
The Away Team have set up a piece of heavy industrial cutting gear. They are burning a hole in the locking mechanism of the large steel doors. MATT stands at a distance, under guard by one of the COMMANDOS. Clearly no one here trusts him. ALICE and SPENCE also stand slightly apart from the others. ONE is with them.
ONE
The building above us, Looking Glass House, is the primary entrance to the Hive. You and your husband are soldiers. Placed there to protect that entrance.
23
CONTINUED:
ALICE
We’re not married?
ONE
A cover story to allay suspicion. Secrecy is paramount. No one was to know of the Hive’s existence.
ALICE
But I saw a photograph
ONE
Look.
He opens a drawer in one of the storage units. Inside are a dozen framed photographs. A dozen different happy couples standing in exactly the same pose, in front of exactly the same set of rose bushes.
ONE (cont’d)
You rotate shifts at the house.
ALICE is reeling. Having trouble taking all this in.
SPENCE
You okay?
ALICE
Yeah...I’ll be fine.
SPENCE
Why can’t we remember anything?
ONE
The Hive has its own defense mechanisms are all computer controlled. You and your partner were intended as the first line of defense in the mansion. If you were killed or incapacitated, then the computer could deploy its own defenses. A nerve agent released through hidden vents in the house. Primary effect of the gas is complete unconsciousness, lasting anything up to four hours. Secondary effects are varied, but can include acute memory loss.
SPENCE
For how long?
ONE
Subjective. An hour, a day, a week.
24
CONTINUED:(2)
ALICE
(shrugs)
Great.
SPENCE
So we were attacked?
ONE
No...I’m afraid things are a little more complicated than that.
The cutting equipment suddenly stops.
RAIN
Sir, We’ve breached the Hive.
INT. THE HIVE — CORRIDOR NIGHT.
The heavy steel doors slide aside to reveal a familiar looking corridor. The HIVE is the office building we had seen at the start of the movie. The blinds were closed, because there are no windows here. The whole structure is underground.
The Medic uses a hand held device to sample the air.
MEDIC
Halon content in the air is high. That must be how she killed then.
ONE
Do we need masks?
MEDIC
No, it’s breathable now.
TWELVE jacks into a computer point by the doors.
ONE
Status.
TWELVE
Red Queen is down to basic logic functions.
ONE
Which means?
TWELVE
She could just about manage a game of Pong. She’s no threat.
25
INT. THE HIVE - ELEVATOR SHAFT
The COMMANDOS force open the doors to the shaft. Far below they can see the crumpled remnants of the cars.
ONE
Looks like we’re taking the stairs.
INT. THE HIVE - STAIRS
As the team descend the stairs, ALICE falls in beside ONE.
ALICE
Who is the Red Queen?
ONE
The super computer which controls the Hive. State of the art A.I. created by the same corporation which built this place.
ALICE
You mean this isn’t a military base?
ONE
Private enterprise. Umbrella Corp. could buy and sell the military.
(wry smile)
They pay better too.
ALICE
And you’re here to kill the Queen?
ONE
Put a bolt right through the bitch’s logic box.
INT. THE HIVE - CORIRIDOR OUTSIDE THE LAD
The same science lab we had seen at the start of the movie.
The team approach the glass wall which separates the lab from the corridor. There are seven narrow jets of water which shoot out from the window. Seven pea sized holes punched in the glass by BROWN'S fire axe.
The lab itself has totally filled with water. Floor to ceiling. The water is murky. Visibility zero. SPENCE peers into the gloom. There’s something in there...can’t quite make it out.
SUDDENLY something BUMPS against the glass. In BIG CLOSE UP we see BROWN'S hideously distorted face.
26
CONTINUED:
SPENCE jumps back in fright. He loses his dignity, the audience lose their popcorn.
GREEN, BLUE and BROWN have all drowned. GREEN'S face also floats close to the glass, her features bloated, but her eyes as beautiful as ever. Her mouth is frozen in a dying scream.
MACE
What happened?
ONE
Four hours ago, Red Queen went homicidal. Sealed the Hive and tried to kill everyone within it.
TWELVE
When we realized what was happening, White Queen was brought on line to try and control her sister.
ALICE
White Queen?
ONE
An identical computer based at 1~ORAD. The two of them fought it out. An electronic Battle Royale. After 2.7 seconds it was over. Red Queen was disabled, and we were dispatched to finish her off.
ALICE
Why did she do it?
TWELVE
We don’t know.
J.D.
(aggressive)
But I’m sure our bogus cop has a few answers...
He shoves MATT.
J.D. (cont’d)
...don’t you?
MATT
I don’t have anything to do with this.
RAIN
Then what were you doing topside? A spot of gardening?
27
CONTINUED:(2)
J.D.
Maybe we should do a little pruning ourselves ...
J.D. produces a knife. Holds it by MATT'S crotch.
J.D. (cont’d)
get some answers.
ONE
Leave him .... we’ve got professionals for that kind of thing.
MATT
I’m sure you do.
J.D. leans in close to MATT. The wolfish smile has a sadistic edge to it.
J.D.
(whispers)
Just to let you know. If you’re responsible for this. I’m going to make sure you pay .... personally.
The team begins to move off.
MATT
(to Alice)
I don’t kill people .... you have to believe me.
ALICE looks at him like he were dirt on her shoe.
ALICE
Sure .... I believe you.
She walks off. J.D. shoves MATT ahead of him.
J.D.
Move it.
TWELVE takes one last look into the flooded lab. Into GREEN'S dead staring eyes.
TWELVE
Poor bastards.
As he hurries after the rest of the team, we hold on GREEN'S dead face. After a moment SHE TURNS HER EYES to follow TWELVE.
28
INT. THE HIVE - CORRIDOR NIGHT.
RAIN stands by a set of heavy blast doors which are blocking their progress. She’s working on the locking mechanism.
ONE
How’s it coming?
RAIN
Most of these doors are magnetically sealed. We’re not going to get them open till we sever the power.
ONE
Can we cut through?
RAIN
It’ll take time.
ONE checks his timepiece. 02:15:32
ONE
Find an alternate route.
CLOSE ON The WEDDING RING
as ALICE slips it from her finger. Inside the band of gold is an inscription:
“PROPERTY OF UMBRELLA CORP.”
MATT (O.S.)
Sorry to hear about the marriage.
ALICE looks up to see MATT.
ALICE
Leave me alone.
MATT
I’m really not the man you think I am.
ALICE
Why do you care what I think?
MATT
Because I don’t have many friends down here. And I have the feeling I may need one.
ALICE
And why is that?
29
CONTINUED:
MATT
Listen. Do you hear it?
ALICE listens carefully. It’s barely audible, but it’s there. A low groaning sound. It seems almost human. Almost.
ALICE
What is that?
MATT
I don’t know. But I’ve been hearing it since we entered this place.
He looks up at the grille that covers one of the air ducts.
MATT (cont’d)
It’s coming from the vents.
AIR VENT - CONTINUOUS
We see ALICE and MATT from inside the darkened air shaft. Is there something inside? Something watching them?
ALICE
(unsure)
Air conditioning?
MATT shakes his head.
MATT
I just hope your friends know what they're doing.
INT. SPECIMEN ROOM
TWELVE punches in an access code — 667 — and a heavy steel door slides away to reveal a vast room filled with specimen tanks. The tanks are made of circular plexi and reach from floor to ceiling. There are literally hundreds of them, and with no clear way through the room, they form a grotesque kind of maze.
Each tank is filled with a viscous liquid and some new exciting monstrosity. Animals spliced together. Skeletons that look barely human. Some that clearly aren’t.
Bioengineering run amok.
RAIN
Now this is some surreal shit right here.
30
CONTINUED:
MATT
Pretty isn’t it?
(to Alice)
Gene splicing, cloning, chemical testing all of it illegal. Banned by international law. That’s why Umbrella hides it away down here.
J.D.
(angry)
Who the tuck asked your opinion?
For a moment, it looks like J.D. may explode. He really doesn’t like MATT.
ONE defuses the situation.
ONE
J.D you and Rain secure this exit.
ONE (cont’d)
The rest of you, with me.
CLOSE ON ALICE
as she wanders through the room. She sees human bodies stripped of their skin, just the bare musculature on show. Mesmerized by the freak show, she doesn’t realize that she is being slowly separated from the others. This room does indeed function like a maze, and ALICE is becoming lost.
She stops in front of one tank. It contains a strange four legged CREATURE with no eyes and a grotesque long tongue. Perhaps this was human once, but that was a long time ago.
The liquid the dead Creature is kept in is being constantly circulated, and the movement makes the three foot long tongue sway. It shines past the Plexiglas, as though it were licking it. Up close, the pink fleshy tongue is covered in a thousand tiny barbs.
This is the stuff of nightmares. Really fucked up nightmares. The kind serial killers have.
ALICE looks away from the tank and realizes that the rest of the team have disappeared. She is alone in this grotesque maze. Where literally anything could be hiding. She suddenly senses movement. Something refracted through the curved glass of a specimen tank, Something horrifying.
31
CONTINUED:
ALICE turns and Bam! Comes face to face with ONE. ALICE tries to stifle a scream, but doesn’t quite succeed.
ONE
Don’t wander off.
ALICE
(embarrassed)
Sorry.
She glances back at the monstrous Creature in the tank.
ALICE (cont’d)
When I get my memory back, am I going to know what kind of stuff went on down here?
ONE
No.
ALICE
And I don’t suppose you want to tell me?
ONE
You suppose right soldier.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
A glass walled control booth looks out onto a long stainless steel corridor. The metal is so highly polished it hurts to look at.
SPENCE
What’s taking so long?
TWELVE is operating three plasma screen laptops simultaneously, running multiple bypasses on the control room computers.
TWELVE
Red Queen’s just beyond that door.
TWELVE indicates a thick vault door at the end of the steel corridor.
TWELVE (cont’d)
And she’s well protected.
Above the door sits an infra red camera with a Weapons Cluster built around it.
32
CONTINUED:
TWELVE (cont’d)
High explosive, armor piercing, C.S. gas, this baby has it all.
Every five seconds the camera pans the corridor, the Weapons Cluster following the sweep, prepared to annihilate anything that crosses its path.
SPENCE
I thought she was going to have trouble with Pong?
ONE
We don’t believe in taking risks.
It’s clear that ONE doesn’t want him bothering his men any more, so SPENCE drifts over to ALICE instead.
SPENCE
So ....
He looks ALICE over and twirls the wedding ring suggestively around his finger.
SPENCE (cont’d)
Man and wife.
ALICE
Our cover.
SPENCE
Living in that house together. Late at night. You think we ... you know?
ALICE
(very certain)
I don’t think so.
In the steel corridor, the Weapons Cluster powers dawn.
TWELVE
We’re in!
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
ONE leads the Away Team towards the vault door. They advance cautiously, still wary of any potential traps.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
TWELVE is still at his station by the three laptops. He and ALICE watch through the glass wall as the Away Team advances.
33
CONTINUED:
She’s clearly impressed by ONE'S leadership. Maybe a little taken with him as well.
ALICE
He’s a cool customer.
TWELVE
Kept us all alive a long time.
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
ONE stands before the vault door. This thing look like it could withstand an atomic bomb, ONE places a tiny electronic box over the vault’s locking mechanism.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
ONE (O.S.)
Transmitter in position.
TWELVE fires up his three computers.
TWELVE
Roger...running the bypass.
ALICE, MATT and SPENCE watch as thousands of letters and numbers scroll across the three plasma screens. On the first computer, the possibilities quickly reduce, and then settle on a simple code:
RQ KR 4 WQ QB 4 WQ QB 5 - UNLOCK
After a moment the second screen reads:
WQ KB 8 WQ QB 8 RK K 2 - UNLOCK
Then the third and final screen:
WK KB 5 RQ K WQ QR 6 - UNLOCK
TWELVE sits back, satisfied.
TWELVE (cont’d)
Checkmate.
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
The vault door reverberates as its giant locking mechanisms come undone. Thirty inches of steel plate swing aside to reveal a high domed chamber bathed in red light. The lair of the Red Queen.
34
CONTINUED:
ONE
Forward in teams.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
ALICE, MATT and SPENCE watch in fascination as ONE unhooks what looks like a miniature rocket launcher from his belt.
ALICE
What is that?
TWELVE
That’s what’s going to put the Queen to sleep. The shells are tipped with depleted uranium.
SPENCE
They’re radioactive?
TWELVE
No .... it’s what’s left of uranium once nuclear fission is over.
MATT
Ten times heavier than lead.
TWELVE
What the hell kind of environmentalist are you?
MATT
(shrugs)
I read “Guns and Ammo”.
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
The first team of COMMANDOS are just about to enter the Queen’s chamber when without warning, a thick blast door suddenly SLAMS down.
It separates the Away Team from the control room, cutting off their escape route.
ONE
Twelve?
INT. CONTROL ROOM
TWELVE scrambles for an answer, his fingers flying between the three keyboards.
35
CONTINUED:
TWELVE
Some kind of dormant defense mechanism, we must have tripped it when we opened the door.
ONE (O.S.)
Well put it back to sleep.
TWELVE
Working on it.
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
ONE keeps a tight rein on his troops. Allowing no one to panic.
ONE
Hold your positions! Everyone stay calm!
COMMANDO
What’s that?
From within the Queen’s chamber comes a sudden movement. A horizontal beam of red light. Traveling down the corridor at high speed.
ONE
Down! Down!
ONE drags the Commando beside him to the ground as the wire thin beam of light passes overhead.
COMMANDO
My fingers ....
The Commando stares at his right hand. All four fingers are missing.
COMMANDO (cont’d)
.... what happened to my fingers?
They are lying on the highly polished floor. Along with the remains of his gun, also neatly sliced in half. The Commando begins to go into shock.
ONE
Medic!
The Medic is standing close by. Unmoving.
ONE (cont’d)
Medic!
36
CONTINUED:
Blood begins to pour from a razor thin line around the Medic’s neck. Then his head peels off and tumbles to the floor.
The headless body remains standing for a moment. Then it falls to its knees and pitches forward.
COMMANDO 2
(terrified)
What the fuck was that?
ONE
Laser beam. Stay out of its way .... it’ll cut straight through you.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
ALICE and MATT are trying to force the heavy steel blast door open.
ALICE
We’ve got to get them out of there!
SPENCE
(to Twelve)
Help then.
TWELVE
I’m trying!
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
ONE ties a bloody tourniquet around the remains of the Commando’s hand.
ONE
Stay conscious...you’re going into shock ... you have to stay awake!
COMMANDO 2
It’s coming back!
The thin line of laser light streaks back towards them. This time it is just above ankle level, like a trip wire. Commando 2 tries to jump over it, but the laser adjusts, suddenly raising in height.
Commando 2 is caught off guard and sliced neatly in two. He stays conscious for a couple of seconds. Just long enough to see the horror of his own body falling apart.
Only ONE has survived.
37
CONTINUED:
He has leaped into the air and stayed there, his feet braced against either wall of the corridor. The laser beam has passed right underneath him, only just missing. A knife that hangs from his belt is cut clean in two. The metal blade clatters to the steel floor below.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
ALICE and SPENCE struggle with the blast door. They are starting to inch it open.
But the laser wire is coming back for ONE.
ONE (O.S.)
Shut it down! Shut it down!
TWELVE
Almost there.
Streams of letters and numbers chase across his computer screens as TWELVE closes in on the override code.
INT. STEEL CORIRIDOR
ONE readies himself as the laser wire races towards bun. It is at waist level, but could alter at any moment.
ONE stands his ground. Ready to pit his lightning reflexes against those of the computer. His concentration is absolute.
At the last second, the single thin laser wire switches to a grid. Fifty interlocking laser lines fanning a deadly net from which there is no escape.
ONE
Shit!
The laser grid dices him into three inch cubes.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
The others watch in horror as ONE'S body literally falls apart.
Everyone in the corridor is dead.
The team have been wiped out in under thirty seconds.
TWELVE'S laptop beeps. Breaking the silence. It has cracked the override code.
In the steel corridor laser flickers and dies.
38
CONTINUED:
Too little. Too late.
TWELVE
Alright ....
He gets uncertainly to his feet.
TWELVE (cont’d)
Let’s do it.
SPENCE
(incredulous)
What?
TWELVE
We have to complete the mission.
SPENCE glances into the steel corridor.
SPENCE
I’m not going in there.
TWELVE
Her defenses are down.
SPENCE
Deja vu anyone? You’re on your own.
TWELVE takes a deep breath.
TWELVE
Alright.
INT. STEEL CORRIDOR
TWELVE stands at the threshold of the corridor. His eyes flick from one detail to another. The end of the corridor dead body .... the vault door .... dead body .... ONE'S missile launcher...death .... the security camera silently watching .... death .... death .... more death...
TWELVE
(losing it)
Alright .... get a grip .... calm down.
ALICE (O.S.)
Hey.
The sudden voice makes TWELVE jump out of his skin. He turns to see ALICE at his shoulder.
ALICE (cont’d)
Want some company?
39
CLOSE UP EYES
Dead and staring. One of the COMMANDOS. We can still see the surprise frozen on his face. ALICE and TWELVE edge their way past the body.
Side by side, jacked up on adrenaline. Ready for anything.
ALICE
By the way...you got a name?
He indicates the patch on his shoulder.
TWELVE
Twelve.
ALICE
That’s a number, not a name.
TWELVE
Isiab Tagawa Mercurio.
MACE
Catchy.
TWELVE
That’s why Twelve stuck.
ALICE
I’d introduce myself but...
She shrugs. Doesn’t even know her own name.
INT. THE QUEEN’S CHAMBER
Flooded with red light, this is the very heart of THE HIVE. The room pulses with a life of its own.
TWELVE now carries the missile launcher. The trigger is slick with blood.
He approaches a computer console at the centre of the room. Circular in design, and just over four feet high, it resembles a giant chess piece.
GIRL (V.0.)
Get out!
A beautiful sixteen year old GIRL walks from the shadows. She’s furious, her hands clenched in anger.
GIRL (cont’d)
Get out! You can’t be in here!
40
CONTINUED:
TWELVE walks straight up to the Girl and then steps CLEAN THROUGH HER!
TWELVE
Holographic representation of the Red Queen.
GIRL-RED QUEEN
You have to get out!
TWELVE begins to set up the missile launcher, oblivious to the angry youth at his side.
TWELVE
Head programmer’s daughter.
RED QUEEN
I wouldn’t advise this.
TWELVE
(to Alice)
Don’t listen to anything she says.
RED QUEEN
Disabling me will result in loss of primary power.
TWELVE
She’s only trying to deceive us...
RED QUEEN
You’ll never be able to reach the surface.
TWELVE
.... confuse us ....
RED QUEEN
Everything I have done has been for your own good.
TWELVE
.... she’ll say anything to stop us shutting her down.
TWELVE readies the rocket launcher. He stands before a glowing red lens at the top of the console. The Red Queen’s “eye”
RED QUEEN
The console is armored. You won’t penetrate it.
41
CONTINUED:(2)
He points
TWELVE
Uranium tipped shells.
ALICE
Ten times heavier than lead.
The rocket launcher straight at the Queen’s eye.
RED QUEEN
(desperate)
I implore you.
TWELVE
Implore away.
RED QUEEN
Please ....
Red Queen’s pleading voice sounds almost human. A vulnerable young girl.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
.... please!
TWELVE'S finger tightens. Fourteen pounds of pressure on a fifteen pound trigger. He’s going to do it.
All the humanity suddenly vanishes from Red Queen’s voice.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
(cold)
You’re all going to die down here.
TWELVE fires.
The missile penetrates the console.
The image of the Queen and then the lights in the chamber flicker and die.
For a second, inky darkness. Then the emergency lighting kicks in.
This new menacing half light is accompanied by a heavy metallic pounding noise. Distant to start with, but gradually drawing closer. Like a giant’s footsteps slowly approaching.
ALICE
What is that?
42
CONTINUED:(3)
TWELVE
Most of the doors down here are magnetic locking. When we cut the main power, we popped them all wide open. Getting out should be a lot easier than coming in.
INT. THE HIVE — VARIOUS
A MONTAGE OF SHOTS show heavy steel doors opening all across the complex.
Even the door to the flooded science lab slides open, allowing a torrent of water to race into the corridor.
The bodies of GREEN, BLUE and BROWN are swept along in the tide.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
TWELVE
Here it is. Her logic chip.
TWELVE holds a small BOX in his hand. The size of a single CD case, its surface is covered in a pattern of black and white squares, like a miniature chess board.
TWELVE (cont’d)
The essence of the Red Queen condensed on a single microprocessor.
SPENCE
Is it safe?
TWELVE
Don’t worry. She can’t do anything from in there. It’s like putting the genie back in the bottle.
SPENCE
You mean she’s not dead?
TWELVE
Are you kidding? Do you know how much she cost? They’ll try to put her right, or at least figure out what went wrong.
MATT
So it’s okay for a computer to kill people. You just send her to the shrink. If she were a person, she’d fry.
TWELVE
People don’t cost as much as she does.
43
CONTINUED:
MATT
That’s a real nice attitude you have.
TWELVE ignores him.
TWELVE
With the main power down, there’ll be no ventilation.
(packs up his equipment)
The air’s going to start getting stale pretty soon.
INT. SPECIMEN ROOM
The labyrinth of horror. Looks even worse by the dim glow of the emergency lights.
TWELVE
Everybody stay close.
ALICE shoots him a look. That’s one major piece of unneeded advice. TWELVE takes the lead as they head through the giant room. But the deeper they go, the greater the sense of unease. The specimens seem to be watching them. Leering at them.
A SUDDEN FLASH OF MOVEMENT. A glimpse of something hideous, seen through the curved glass of the specimen jars. Was it just a trick, a distortion of the glass, or is there something else in here with them?
Unease becomes dread.
SPENCE slows. Almost stops. Without thinking, he’s holding his breath. Just like the audience. We all sense it. Something terrible is about to happen.
SUDDENLY a clawed HAND on his neck. Digging in, biting into the flesh.
SPENCE SCREAMS and turns to face the horror.
SPENCE (cont’d)
What the fuck are you doing?
It’s J.D. He and RAIN are where ONE left them. Guarding the retreat.
J.D.
Quiet.
They all listen.
44
CONTINUED:
The shuffle of feet? And a low moaning noise. Almost human. Almost.
SPENCE
What is that?
ALICE and MATT share a look. This is the sane noise they had heard through the air vents. Only now it’s closer. Now it’s in the room with them.
RAIN
There.
She sees movement behind one of the specimen tanks.
RAIN (cont’d)
Over there.
J.D.
No .... there!
J.D. sees another one. Whatever they are, they’re all around.
SPENCE
What the fuck is down here?
J.D.
I’m not waiting to find out. Now move!
J.D. pushes them towards the exit.
RAIN
we’re almost there .... keep going!
The exit is just ahead. Something big moves behind one of the tanks. S.D. lets loose a burst from his M16. The tank shatters sending broken plexi and fluid everywhere. They still haven’t seen their pursuers.
J.D.
Run!
They do. ALICE sprinting ahead, straight into A figure in a lab coat. A WOMAN. Her tongue is swollen and bloated. Her death was painful and slow. You can see it in what’s left of her face.
THE UNDEAD HAVE ARRIVED.
45
CONTINUED:(2)
ALICE screams as the UNDEAD WOMAN hinges at her. The Woman’s actions are slow and jerky, but ALICE is caught by surprise and knocked to the ground. She struggles to get up, but the weight of the Undead Woman keeps her pinned to the floor.
ALICE looks into the Woman’s dead eyes, which stare straight back at her. There’s no life left here, but there is something else. A terrible, terrible hunger.
RAIN kicks the Woman off. She rolls over and begins to get up. Broken ribs mean nothing. Pain means nothing.
RAIN empties a round into her chest. Then another, then another. Still the Woman advances. Bullets mean nothing.
The M16 dry clicks. Empty.
TWELVE moves to help when two more UNDEAD loom behind him. One grabs his arms, the other his hair. He struggles to break free, but can’t.
TWELVE
Help me!
But J.D. can’t hear over the sound of his own gunfire. He’s blasting away at the rising tide of undead.
ALICE sits with her back against one of the tanks. In a state of shock. Traumatized.
WE SEE but she doesn’t — a figure moving behind the tank, circling towards her. Its monstrous face distorted even more by the coned Plexiglas.
RAIN struggles with the Undead Woman. Trying to hold her off. To keep the teeth from her throat.
MATT
(to Spence)
Help them!
MATT is helpless, his hands still cuffed. SPENCE surveys the scene. Sees ALICE in shock. TWELVE and RAIN pinned by the Undead. J.D. nowhere to be seen.
Then he bolts for the exit.
One of the Undead bites down hard on TWELVE'S shoulder. He screams in pain.
RAIN struggles with the Undead Woman. She has RAIN by the hair.
46
CONTINUED:(3)
RAIN
Bitch!
RAIN grabs her by the head and twists. The UNDEAD'S neck snaps with a hollow crack and she falls to the ground. Unmoving.
The figure behind ALICE comes into view. She’s still unaware of the danger. It’s BROWN, the scientist from the start of the movie. The fire axe still dangles uselessly from his right hand. His face is bloated and swollen from the water. Death by drowning always looks bad. Especially when the bodies start to walk around.
He reaches for ALICE. His fingers are inches from her skin.
Two more Undead have surrounded TWELVE. The four of them have wrestled him to the ground and are biting in a frenzy at his arms and chest.
One of them wrestles a .45 auto from TWELVE'S belt, but doesn’t know what to do with it.
MATT (O.S.)
I’ll take that.
Still in cuffs, MATT snatches the gun from the UNDEAD'S hand. The Undead creature looks up in surprise as MATT blows the back of its head off. Surprisingly, there’s very little blood. Inside, the creatures are dry, withered husks.
A scream brings cur attention back to ALICE. The Undead BROWN has a hand on her throat. He drops the fire axe and secures his other hand around her wind pipe.
MATT carefully takes aim. BROWN'S head in his sights- And squeezes.
Click. Empty.
ALICE is slammed against the plexi tank. The last of her breath leaving her body. She’s passing out. She feels BROWN'S saliva on her face. Rank and fetid.
But still she doesn’t move. The trauma has triggered some kind of recall in Mice’s mind.
BIG CLOSE UP ON ALICE’S EYES
Suddenly THE CAMERA accelerates forward, racing past the cool blue of her iris and plunging deep within the dark well of her pupil.
47
CONTINUED:(4)
As THE CAMERA spirals through the darkness, we sense sudden flashes of color and sound. MEMORIES.
ALICE’S FLASHBACK:
Blurred imagery, distorted voices. The logic of a dream.
THE CAMERA lost in a dark, evil forest. The kind you see in fairy tales. But as we pull back, the forest is revealed to be a giant oil painting.
In front of it stands a table. And on the table a foam lined carry case and a pair of gloves. We recognize them front the start of the movie.
UNSEEN VOICE
I can help you get the virus. Access codes, security plans, the works.
END ALICE’S FLASHBACK
SMASH CUT TO:
THE PRESENT
ALICE forced against the plexi tank. BROWN'S hands around her neck, Choking. Dying.
BAM! BROWN'S head is suddenly pinned against the Plexiglas by the fire axe. The axe has gone clear through his skull, in one ear and out the other. His hands drop away from ALICE'S throat, but BROWN'S body remains standing. His head pinned to the specimen tank.
ALICE
(choked)
Thank you.
SPENCE stands there. Her saviour.
ALICE (cont’d)
You came back.
SPENCE
I didn’t know the door code.
RAIN
Hate to break up the husband/wife thing, but let’s get the fuck out of here. There’s more of them on the way.
48
CONTINUED:
They race for the exit. TWELVE seems badly injured. ALICE and SPENCE have to help him. Behind them, a dozen Undead are slowly following.
Up ahead they hear gunfire and moments later see J.D. by the exit, holding a whole band of undead at bay.
J.D.
(flip)
What took you?
RAIN
Aim for the head. That seems to work.
TWELVE arrives at the door. Tries to type the entry code in. The sound of gunfire is deafening.
J.D.
What’s taking so long?
TWELVE
I’m trying.
His hands are shaking so hard, he can’t hit the keys.
RAIN
Out of the way tech boy.
RAIN pushes him aside.
RAIN (cont’d)
What’s the code?
TWELVE
(shaken)
Six, six, seven.
RAIN punches in the code.
RAIN
See how easy that was?
The door slides smoothly open to reveal...A DOZEN UNDEAD! Their hands reaching for RAIN. Grabbing her, dragging her into the dark void beyond.
RAIN
(screans)
No!
J.D.
Out of my way!
49
CONTINUED:(2)
J.D. runs forward, two guns in his hands, both blazing. RAIN has almost disappeared under a mass of rotting undead limbs.
RAIN
(desperate)
Oh my God! Help me!
Other hands reach for her and try to drag her away from the undead. It’s ALICE and TWELVE. Playing tug of war with the undead, and RAIN is the rope.
But it’s hopeless and RAIN is dragged deeper into the ravening horde.
J.D.
Rain! No!
J.D. plunges into the doorway after her. His hand grabs hers, and for a moment she holds on.
RAIN
(pleading)
J.D. .... don’t let go! Please! Don’t let go!
Then one of the undead gets a hold of J.D.’S hand and takes a nice big bite. You know the fleshy bit between your thumb and forefinger? Well J.D. doesn’t have that any more.
J.D. (cont’d)
(intense pain)
Aaaaah!
He lets go and RAIN disappears from sight. All that can be beard are her screams.
J.D. (cont’d)
NO!
J.D. would fling himself into the horde of undead, but the others hold him back.
ALICE
It’s no good.
J.D.
(furious)
Let go of me!
The screaming stops.
MATT
We’ve got to go back!
50
CONTINUED:(3)
J.D.
(almost in tears)
Rain!
But she’s gone. And the undead want fresh meat.
ALICE
We have to get out of this room.
The undead pour into the room. Too many to hold back. And now they move faster. Excited by the sight of blood. Still J.D. won’t move.
ALICE (cont’d)
J.D. .... please.
She looks him in the eye. Icy calm, despite the ravening horde that threatens to overwhelm them.
ALICE (cont’d)
We have to go.
J.D. finally snaps out of it. Realizing that RAIN is never coming back. Stunned, he nods and they move off.
The survivors race through the room, weaving between the slower moving undead. When something gets in their way, J.D. levels it with a burst from his M16. His anger rising.
J.D.
Motherfuckers! Dirty motherfuckers!
Mound them, Plexiglas tanks shatter and explode as stray bullets crash into them.
And in all the chaos, the group begins to get separated.
Like mice in a maze.
CLOSE ON A HEAVY DOOR
as SPENCE slams it behind them.
They are back where they started. WIDER TO REVEAL -
INT. CONTROL ROOM
SPENCE looks around. Only now does he realize that some of their group is missing.
51
CONTINUED:
SPENCE
Where are the others? Where the tuck are the others?
ALICE and MATT are gone.
J.D.
Don’t look at me.
TWELVE
Damn!
TWELVE un-straps his Kevlar vest and lets it fall to the ground. His entire body is covered with bite shaped marks. The bruises are already turning an ugly yellow color.
TWELVE (cont’d)
I feel like lunch.
J.D. slumps to the ground, his back to the wall. Nice solid wall. No chance of anything creeping up on him. RAIN'S death has snapped something within J.D. blood drips from his savaged hand.
On the other side of the door we bear dozens of fists pounding.
SPENCE
Well I’m not going to end up a Goddamn Happy Meal for one of those tucks!
J.D.
Whatever they are, you can stop them with a shot to the head.
SPENCE
(angry)
Whatever they are? It’s pretty goddamn obvisous what they are. Lab coats, badges. Those people used to work here.
TWELVE
All the people working here are dead.
SPENCE
Well that isn’t stopping them from walking around!
J.D.
Where did they come from? Why didn’t we see them on the way in?
52
CONTINUED:(2)
TWELVE
When we cut the power, we unlocked all the doors. We let Pandora out of the box.
SPENCE
Those things could be all over the place. We’re never going to make it to the surface.
TWELVE
So she was right.
SPENCE
What?
TWELVE
The Queen...she was right.
The moment is broken by the sound of a gun being racked. J.D. is checking his assault rifle.
J.D.
Twenty seven rounds.
(to Twelve)
You?
TWELVE
Six in the clip...one in the breech.
SPENCE
We are so fucked.
Not too eloquent, but it seems pretty accurate.
CUT TO:
CLOSE ON ALICE
for the first time, all alone in the dark. And it’s terrifying. WIDEN to reveal –-
INT. SECURITY ROOM
We recognize the room from the start of the movie. The one with all the caged guard dogs. Only now the cages are empty. Many have holes in them, chewed straight through the mesh. What would make a dog do that?
ALICE cautiously makes her way down the half lit corridor. Then suddenly she stops. Senses that she isn’t alone. In the audience, people are watching from behind their fingers.
53
CONTINUED:
Then she hears it. A sharp clicking sound. Nails on a cement floor.
In the shadows, a dark shape moving.
A low demonic growl.
ALICE
Easy there I Good doggie.
The Doberman advances into a shaft of light. But this is like no dog we’ve ever seen before. Its eyes are glazed. Its flesh decaying. Undead doggie.
ALICE (cont’d)
Oh hell.
The Doberman charges and ALICE does the only sensible thing. She runs.
The Dog leaps at her, all teeth and claws. ALICE dodges and dives into one of the cages f or protection. She slams the mesh door in the hellhound’s face.
ALICE wedges door shut. She’s trapped in the cage, and the door won’t hold for long. But it doesn’t matter anyway, because out of the shadows steps a second Doberman.
ALREADY IN THE CAGE WITH HER!
The second Undead Dog jumps at ALICE, knocking her to the ground. She’s no match for its savagery. It’s a struggle just to keep its jaws from her throat.
As if that weren’t enough, the first Dog is slowly forcing the cage door open. It will be through in moments.
They want blood, her blood.
The Dog on top of ALICE forces its jaws around her face.
BIG CLOSE UP ON ALICE’S EYES
Suddenly THE CAMERA accelerates forward, racing past the cool blue of her iris and plunging deep within the dark well of her pupil.
As THE CAMERA spirals through the darkness, we sense sudden flashes of color and sound. MEMORIES.
THROUGH HER EYES WE SEE: schematics of the dog: biological cross sections: details of the dog’s skeleton: a weak point identified on the Doberman’s neck.
54
CONTINUED:(2)
Her hands are already there. Guided by instinct.
SNAP!
The Undead Dog stops moving. She’s killed it with her bare hands.
CRASH! The cage door bursts open. The other Dog charges. Ferocious, unstoppable. In one slick acrobatic move, ALICE leaps into the air and boosts herself through a hole in the cage roof.
The Dog jumps after her, but ALICE is just out of reach.
She rolls over the cage roof, drops to the ground and slams the cage door shut. Right in the Hellhound’s face. ALICE slams the door bolt home. The Dog is trapped, helpless in the cage.
ALICE smiles and turns away, SMACK INTO ANOTHER OF THE UNDEAD!
It’s the security guard who used to tend the dogs. CLARENCE. We recognize him from the start of the movie. ALICE recognizes him from his name tag.
ALICE (cont’d)
Easy there Clarence.
The undead guard lunges for her, but ALICE is lightning fast, as though someone else had taken possession of her body. She weaves through his arm, lifts the sidearm from his bolster and drills a bullet through his forehead.
As the Undead Clarence collapses, MORE MEMORIES FLOOD INTO ALICE. In ULTRA FAST SUCCESSION we see a dozen schematics of the handgun. In two seconds flat, she has ejected the magazine, checked the number of bullets, slammed the mag home and chambered another round.
All before Clarence’s body has hit the ground.
ALICE is stunned by all this sudden killer instinct. Stares at herself, gun in hand.
ALICE (cont’d)
Damn! I’m a tough bitch.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
TWELVE stares at the door. It’s beginning to buckle under the weight of the undead. He suddenly turns back to the others:
55
CONTINUED:
TWELVE
It’s a long shot .... but there might be someone who could help us.
J.D.
Who?
TWELVE takes the Box from his pocket.
SPENCE
You’re kidding right?
TWELVE
If anyone could find a way out of here it would be her.
SPENCE
No. Absolutely not.
He looks to J.D.
SPENCE (cont’d)
Right?
No reply.
SPENCE (cont’d)
In case I’ve been the only one paying attention, that homicidal bitch tried to kill us all.
TWELVE
That homicidal bitch may be the only one who can tell us what the hell’s going on down here.
(shrugs)
I know it’s not ideal.
SPENCE
You said that right.
J.D.
If you switched her back on...you could control her?
SPENCE
I don’t believe this.
TWELVE
If she says or does anything we don’t like ....
He indicates the switch at the base of the Box.
56
CONTINUED:(2)
TWELVE (cont’d)
it’s the flip of a switch.
CLOSE ON A GUILLOTINE BLADE
the kind used for shying through thick stacks of paper. It comes down on a battered pair of handcuffs for the hundredth time. Finally a link breaks.
WIDEN TO REVEAL –
INT. OFFICE
MATT, now free from the cuffs, starts to make his way through the familiar office space. This is where we had last seen LISA. But now the place is trashed. Smeared with dirt and blood.
He reaches LISA'S cubicle and sits down at her desk. We recognize the “LOVE IS .... ”NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU’RE SORRY” paperweight.
After a moment he begins to methodically check the desk drawers.
UNSEEN P.O.V.
moving through the office space. Slow, jerky steps. Glimpsing MATT in the distance.
CLOSE ON MATT
as he turns, sensing something. There’s someone in here with hint. MATT cranes his head around the side of the cubicle. Nothing there. He goes back to the desk and redoubles his efforts. He finds the foam lined carry case. Snaps it open. Empty.
UNSEEN P.O.V.
closing in on MATT. He has his back to us. Trying to force open a locked drawer in LISA'S desk.
CLOSE ON MATT
as the locked drawer pops open. He rifles through the papers inside. All useless. Then he stops. He’s found a framed picture. MATT and LISA arm in arm, smiling at the camera.
MATT gives the photograph a long look.
CRASH!
57
CONTINUED:
a sudden noise makes MATT turn. An office chair has been knocked over by the staggering monstrosity in front of him. It’s LISA. Back from the dead.
MATT still holds the photo in his hand. The two of them arm in arm. LISA alive and beautiful. But the reality stands above him. LISA the undead. Her face distorted into a grotesque mask. The agony of suffocation.
MATT
Oh baby
LISA stares at him. Makes no attempt to attack.
CLOSE ON HER EYES
we see MATT reflected in her pupils. The undead LISA groans. Is there a hint of recognition?
Slowly she raises her hand to his cheek. Touches him lightly. Tenderly.
Then sinks her nails into his flesh.
MATT
(in agony)
Aaaaah!
LISA lunges forward pushing MATT back over the desk. Her teeth snap at his throat. MATT fights back, but LISA is surprisingly strong. He slugs her across the face, breaking her teeth and his knuckles, but she doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t hesitate for a moment. She wants blood.
Slowly, inevitably, she forces her mouth around MATT'S windpipe. Her broken teeth-ready to tear out a jagged chunk of raw flesh. When suddenly she stiffens. And then falls to the ground.
To reveal ALICE standing behind her. The heavy “LOVE IS ....“ paperweight in her hand.
MATT struggles to his feet.
ALICE looks down at LISA. This is the second time we’ve seen her die. Lying beside the body is the broken picture frame. MATT and LISA. Hand in hand. Smiling.
ALICE
Who was she?
58
CONTINUED:
MATT
(choked)
My sister.
ALICE
I’m sorry.
MATT
I could have talked to her .... Reasoned with her.
ALICE
Not with these things.
MATT
They’re not “things”, they’re people! They have mothers, bothers .... brothers.
ALICE
(cold)
No. You can’t think of them that way anymore.
MATT
You know something?
MATT stares at her. The new icy composure. Who is this woman?
MATT (cont’d)
When you remember who you are...I have the feeling we're not going to get on.
CUT TO:
CLOSE UP OF THE BOX
as TWELVE plugs it into the holographic projector on his computer. The chess squares illuminate and a life size 3D image of the teenage Queen flickers into life beside them.
The genie is out of the bottle.
RED QUEEN
Ah, there you are.
(gloating)
I did warn you.
Red Queen is about to continue when J.D. cuts her off.
59
CONTINUED:
J.D.
Lets get something straight I From what I understand, you’re state of the art Artificial Intelligence, which means you consider yourself a living, thinking being, correct?
RED QUEEN
Yes .... that is correct.
J.D.
And this box is the last remnants of your sorry ass. So let me make one thing clear. You try to fuck with us in any way and I will personally grind your super gigabyte punk ass into dust. Finito! Comprende?
RED QUEEN
I speak fifty—seven languages.
J.D.
Good. So now you can answer some questions. Number one .... what the Luck were you people doing down here?
RED QUEEN
The usual thing. Gene splicing, toxicology, bioengineering. All in service of mankind’s one great goal finding new and exciting ways to wipe itself out.
SPENCE
Aren’t we the witty little microchip?
RED QUEEN
Merely here to serve.
The argument is interrupted by the undead. Banging hard against the door to the Specimen Room.
TWELVE
What are those things out there?
RED QUEEN
Things?
SPENCE
Drooling, staggering...bad complexions, worse attitude.
60
CONTINUED:(2)
RED QUEEN
I presume you are referring to the retro animated weapons systems.
J.D.
The what?
RED QUEEN
In human mythology, I believe they are traditionally referred to as the undead.
TWELVE
Explain.
RED QUEEN
Even in death, the human body still remains active. Hair and fingernails continue to grow, new cells are produced, and the brain itself holds a small electrical charge that takes months to dissipate. Much of the research in the Hive was devoted to those electronic signals left in the brain .... fragments of memory that decay over time. A virus, T—3 was developed. This T-virus provides a massive jolt to those trace electronic impulses.
(pauses a beat)
Put quite simply, it reanimates the body.
J.D.
You’re bringing the dead back to life?
RED QUEEN
Not fully. The subjects have the simplest of motor functions. Perhaps a little memory .... virtually no intelligence. Driven by the basest of impulses .... the most basic of needs.
TWELVE
Which is?
RED QUEEN
The need to feed.
SPENCE
(fearing the worst)
And what do these things feed on?
61
CONTINUED:(3)
RED QUEEN
They feed on what mankind has always wanted to prey upon, what you have always sought to destroy. Yourselves.
SPENCE
They eat people?
TWELVE
That’s inhuman.
RRD QUEEN
On the contrary. I find it perfectly in keeping with human behavior. Stripped of culture, intelligence, reason .... they are your true primal selves. The evil that dwells within all of you.
The computer smiles.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
It’s quite poetic really.
SPENCE sits down on the cold floor.
SPENCE
Oh my God.
RED QUEEN
I was trying to keep them isolated, but I'm afraid you've changed all that.
TWELVE
Why develop such a thing?
RED QUEEN
To use as a weapon of course. Imagine it an enemy nation infected with T—3. The idea of having your own mother and father rise up out of the grave against you. To be attacked by your own flesh and blood. The psychological impact alone would be devastating.
J.D.
If they’re a weapon, you must be able to control them.
RED QUEEN
When the enemy surrenders, the infected area would be sprayed with an anti-toxin, T-4.
62
CONTINUED:(4)
TWELVE
And that would kill them?
RED QUEEN
It would prevent further transmission. The remaining undead would have to be dispatched individually. Severing the top of the spinal column or massive trauma to the brain are the most effective methods.
SPENCE
We are so fucked.
J.D.
You said that already.
SPENCE
Well now I really mean it.
INT. OFFICE
ALICE and MATT pick their way cautiously through the devastation.
ALICE
What were you looking for back there?
MATT
Evidence.
ALICE
Of what? You saw the kind of horrors they had in that specimen room. Well that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
ALICE
How could they do all of this without someone knowing?
MATT
Like who?
ALICE
The government.
MATT
(laughs)
Of course the government knows.
(MORE)
63
CONTINUED:
MATT (cont’d)
Just like they know about the genetically modified meat in your burgers, the D.N.A. enhanced corn in your taco shells. They know about all this shit. They just don’t get involved. They leave it to companies like Umbrella. Buy the end product if it works out, deny all responsibility if it doesn’t. We wanted concrete evidence for the press. We were going to smuggle out a sample of their new viral weapon.
ALICE
And?
MATT
(looks around)
We didn’t cause this if that’s what you mean?
ALICE
(accusingly)
Then who did?
MATT
My sister had a contact within the Hive. Someone I never met. They were supposed to help us get samples of the T-virus. think they double crossed us instead.
ALICE
Why?
MATT
On the open market, who knows what something like that would be worth?
ALICE
(looks at the horror all around)
Worth all this?
MATT
To someone.
INT. CONTROL ROOM
TWELVE continues his interrogation of the Red Queen.
TWELVE
Why kill everyone in the Hive?
64
CONTINUED:
RED QUEEN
Because there was a leak. T—3 escaped an unplanned pattern of infection began. Once the virus was loose, I couldn’t allow anyone to leave the Hive. So I took the appropriate action.
SPENCE
You butchered them.
RED QUEEN
If one infected human had escaped from the Hive...
A green holographic projection springs up in front of the Box. It’s a map of the USA. A tiny pin prick of red appears in the map.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
...the infection would have spread to cover the United States within 13 days.
The pin prick grows rapidly until it becomes a tide of red which sweeps dramatically across the map.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
Canada and South America in 27 days...
The map expands until eventually it becomes an entire globe. And the faster the map grows, the faster the red tide flows.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
...worldwide infection in less than two months.
The holographic globe, now submerged beneath a blood red sea, flickers and disappears.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
So I took steps.
SPENCE
Steps
The group are stunned. Silenced by the enormity of their situation.
RED QUEEN
If I might make a suggestion. You have sufficient ammunition. One bullet apiece to the spinal column should suffice.
65
CONTINUED:(2)
J.D.
What are you saying?
RED QUEEN
Merely that I think suicide would be preferable to what awaits you.
SPENCE
But we’re not infected.
RED QUEEN
Just one bite, one scratch from these creatures will infect you. You could live a long and happy life, but when you die...you become one of them.
J.D. looks down at his bloody hand.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
This facility housed five hundred technicians and support staff. Five hundred against five. Odds of a hundred to one.
TWELVE
We can do the math.
RED QUEEN
Logic dictates that you won’t leave here alive.
J.D.
(angry)
Fuck logic!
The computer smiles at the irony.
RED QUEEN
Easy for you to say.
TWELVE
Listen to me .... we’re getting out of here and you're going to help us.
RED QUEEN
If you insist. But those of you who become infected... I can’t allow you to leave.
TWELVE
(angry)
Understood!
66
CONTINUED:(3)
He switches off the Red Queen. The holograph flickers and dies.
SPENCE
What did she mean?
TWELVE
What?
SPENCE
“Those of you who become infected...I can't allow you to leave."
J.D.
Who cares. As soon as we get near the surface, we're closing that bitch down.
(shoots Twelve a look)
Permanently.
INT. CONNECTING CORRIDOR
MATT and ALICE advance through the gloom. Every shadow hides a potential horror.
ALICE
I swear we’ve been here before.
They stop at a four way junction.
ALICE (cont’d)
This place is a labyrinth.
NATT
I hope not. Every good labyrinth has a monster at its heart.
(Alice stares-at him)
Didn’t they teach you about the Minotaur at school?
ALICE
How would I know?
MATT
Sorry. How is the memory?
ALICE
I remember some things, training, basic instinctual stuff, but not others. still can’t even remember my name.
(shrugs)
Stress seems to bring things back.
67
CONTINUED:
MATT
(glances round the creepy corridor)
Stress huh?
ALICE
Quiet!
She suddenly halts. Senses something up ahead.
ALICE (cont’d)
There’s something moving behind that door.
MATT
(whispered)
How do you know?
ALICE eases the safety off her gun.
ALICE
I know.
MATT and ALICE take position beside the door. She gets ready to kick it in.
ALICE (cont’d)
On three.
Palms are sweaty.
ALICE (cont’d)
One ....
Trigger fingers itchy.
ALICE (cont’d)
.... Two ....
THE DOOR BURSTS OPEN! To reveal ....
TWELVE
Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot! It’s us.
It’s hard to tell who’s more shocked. ALICE and MATT, or TWELVE and the others. Maybe just the audience.
Both groups lower their guns.
From behind SPENCE walks a little girl dressed in red. She smiles at ALICE.
68
CONTINUED:(2)
ALICE
Who’s your friend?
CUT TO:
CLOSE ON THE BOX
as a holographic floor plan appears above the Box.
RED QUEEN
The Hive.
In 3D the underground complex bears an uncanny resemblance to a spiral of D.N.A.
TWELVE
Where are we?
RED QUEEN
The red dots.
Five tiny red figures at the base of THE HIVE.
SPENCE
Right at the bottom...of course.
RED QUEEN
For maximum efficiency I would suggest the following route.
She highlights a way through the holographic maze.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
Through the storage units on this level, to an access tunnel here. That will get you close to the surface. Then you’ll only have to cut through the medical labs and you’ll be back at the loading platform.
TWELVE
Sounds simple.
J.D. chambers a round with a loud metallic snap.
J.D.
Sure.
ALICE
What about those “things”?
69
CONTINUED:
TWELVE
The Queen has sensors throughout the Hive she can tell us where they are.
RED QUEEN
I’m afraid not. My primary sensors are thermal. Because the creatures are dead, their body temperature is negligible. To me they’re virtually invisible.
SPENCE
Great.
TWELVE
What about your motion sensors?
RED QUEEN
Inoperative.
TWELVE
Why?
RED QUEEN
In case it had escaped your notice, so far today I’ve been attacked by a supercomputer, had the majority of my files corrupted and then scarcely thirty minutes ago, you yourself fired a uranium tipped shell clean through my main frame. It’s been...stressful. So pardon me if I’m not functioning at full capacity.
J.D.
(impatient)
That’s enough .... let’s get moving.
ALICE
Wait.
MATT
What is it?
ALICE points to the five tiny red figures in the maze.
ALICE
There we are. One, two, three, four, five.
MATT
So?
ALICE
So who’s that?
70
CONTINUED:(2)
In the centre of the maze, another red dot.
RED QUEEN
the heat signature indicates a human male six feet two, 120 pounds.
MATT
Scrawny guy.
They stare at the softly pulsing heat signature. It gives nothing away. For now we will call him the STRANGER.
ALICE
How did he survive?
The Red Queen seems genuinely surprised.
RED QUEEN
I can’t say. My termination methods were very methodical.
She realizes everyone is staring at her.
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
Sorry.
ALICE looks at the map again. The pulsing red dot of the Stranger.
ALICE
We should help him.
SPENCE
Forget it! He’s miles away.
ALICE looks to MATT for support.
MATT
I don’t know. We make a detour like that we may never get out.
SPENCE
Besides, he’s doing fine by himself. He doesn't need our help.
INT. ACCESS TUNNEL
A wide access tunnel over a mile in length. The HIVE really is vast. As they march, J.D. takes a pack from his belt and tosses it to ALICE.
J.D.
Take one, pass the rest around.
71
CONTINUED:
She opens up the pack. Inside are a variety of k—rations. She tosses a bar to each of the others. MATT looks at the protein bar.
MATT
I can’t eat this.
ALICE
I don’t feel like eating either, but you have to keep your strength up.
MATT
No, I mean I can’t eat it. It has animal fat in it. I'm vergetarian.
J.D.
Do you believe this guy.
He looks at MATT in disbelief.
J.D. (cont’d)
The shit we’re in and he doesn’t want to hurt the little animals!
ALICE ignores J.D. She tosses MATT a different bar.
ALICE
Try this.
SPENCE (O.S.)
Look .... look what I found. Our marching days are done.
SPENCE (cont’d)
Now we ride in style.
CUT TO:
ON BOARD THE CART
SPENCE is at the wheel, J.D. riding shotgun. Mice, TWELVE and MATT jammed in the back. The walls of the tunnel race by. Above them a network of pipes and cables hang from the ceiling.
SPENCE drives gleefully. A handful of undead are spread out sporadically along the corridor. He swerves to hit one of them. Sends it flying.
72
CONTINUED:
SPENCE
(laughs)
I always wanted to drive one of these. I just couldn’t stand the idea of golf.
The Roadkill Undead tries to get to its feet. J.D. shoots it in the head as they race past.
J.D.
Fore!
One of the undead manages to catch a hold of the side of the cart. He is immediately jerked off his feet and dragged along the ground. J.D. looks down at the hapless creature bumping along beside the cart.
J.D. (cont’d)
No riding ....
He waits until he has the UNDEAD'S attention. The monster stares up at J.D. with hungry eyes.
J.D. (cont’d)
.... no riding. Without a ticket.
J.D. shoots him point blank in the hand. The UNDEAD'S fingers lose their grip and he slips away. The cart’s back wheels bump as they run over his body.
The tunnel veers sharply to the left. SPENCE takes the 90 degree turn at high speed. He almost has the cart up on two wheels.
SPENCE
(enjoying every second)
Yeeeha!
MATT
(to Alice)
How long is this tunnel anyway?
ALICE takes out the Box and the Red Queen flickers into life.
RED QUEEN
Enjoying the ride?
MATT
We need to see the map again.
The holographic map of the hive appears above the Box.
73
CONTINUED:(2)
ALICE
You’re nearing the end of the tunnel. Round the next corner and you’ll be there.
MATT
Look ....
The red dot of the Stranger is also moving through THE HIVE, headed up.
MATT (cont’d)
.... whoever it is, they’re headed for the surface too.
SPENCE glances over his shoulder at the map.
SPENCE
See .... told you he didn’t need our help.
ALICE
Eyes on the road!
SPENCE goes back to his driving.
MATT
Wait a moment.
(troubled)
Something’s not right here.
He studies the holographic map.
MATT (cont’d)
Wasn’t there more of the Hive?
RED QUEEN
What?
TWELVE
He’s right .... the map was bigger last time.
RED QUEEN
(petulant)
Perhaps.
As we look closer, we can see the jagged edges of the holographic map, as though part of it has just been torn off. In fact it is disintegrating before our eyes.
74
CONTINUED:(3)
RED QUEEN (cont’d)
I can’t be expected to temember everything.
MATT is about to question the Queen further when SPENCE takes another corner at high speed. The cart skids around the turn and SLAMS INTO A CROWD OF UNDEAD. DOZENS OF THEM!
They’re everywhere. Too many to avoid. SPENCE hauls the wheel to the left, but it’s way too late, and they’re going way too fast. The cart hits the crowd sending bodies flying.
The cart topples and overturns.
MATT is the first to his feet. What he sees is a disaster. J.D. is pinned beneath the cart, unable to move. ALICE lies with her back to the tunnel wall, concussed and unmoving. SPENCE and TWELVE sit a few feet away, dazed.
The undead are everywhere.
MATT
Get to your feet!
He grabs TWELVE and hauls him up.
MATT (cont’d)
Get up or we’re all dead.
The undead are closing in on J.D. Easy meat. He sees them coming and begins to panic.
J.D.
I can’t move!
His gun is lying on the ground. Just out of reach.
J.D. (cont’d)
Help me!
MATT reaches for a gun, but he’s lost his weaponry in the crash. He takes a .45 from SPENCE'S belt. He’s still concussed. Doesn’t need it.
J.D. (cont’d)
Keep them away from me!
One of the undead drops to his knees and prepares to take a bite out of J.D.
J.D. (cont’d)
(screams)
Fucker!
75
CONTINUED:(4)
MATT fires. The undead collapses on top of J.D.
J.D. (cont’d)
Get him off me .... get him off me!
MATT and TWELVE race to his assistance, firing as they go. SPENCE hobbles along behind. They’re just about managing to keep the undead at bay.
J.D. (cont’d)
My leg .... it’s trapped under the cart.
MATT and TWELVE put their backs against the overturned cart. SPENCE helps as best he can.
TWELVE
(to Spence)
Nice driving.
MATT
One ....two ....heave!
The cart moves a little, but then rocks back onto J.D.’s leg. He screams in pain.
MATT (cont’d)
Again. One .... two .... heave!
The cart moves a little more. Still not enough.
J.D.
(in agony)
For Christ’s sake!
MATT
This time .... this time we’ll get it.
He nods to SPENCE and TWELVE. The undead are closing in.
MATT (cont’d)
Ready?
They nod back.
MATT (cont’d)
One ....two .... HEAVE!
The cart crashes back onto its wheels. J.D. is free.
TWELVE
Let’s get out of here.
76
CONTINUED:(5)
He jumps into the driving seat of the cart. In the time it has taken them to free J.D., they have become completely surrounded. A solid wall of undead, getting closer and closer.
CLOSE ON ALICE
In all the confusion, everyone seems to have forgotten about her. She lies concussed, her back against the tunnel wall. Her eyes wide and staring, but seeing nothing. A group of undead have gathered around her.
She’s dead meat.
One of the undead drags his fingers through her hair.
BIG CLOSE UP ON ALICE’S EYES
Suddenly THE CAMERA accelerates forward, racing past the cool blue of her iris and plunging deep within the dark well of her pupil.
As THE CAMERA spirals through the darkness, we sense sudden flashes of color and sound. MEMORIES.
ALICE’S FLASHBACK:
Blurred Imagery distorted voices. The logic of a dream.
THE CAMERA lost in a dark, evil forest. The kind you see in fairy tales. But as we pull back, the forest is revealed to be a giant oil painting.
In front of it stands a table. And on the table a foam lined carry case and a pair of gloves. We recognize them from the start of the movie.
UNSEEN VOICE
I can help you get the virus. Access codes, security plans, the works.
LISA
Good.
THE CAMERA PANS to reveal who LISA is talking to. The Unseen Voice belongs to ALICE.
ALICE
But there’s going to be a price.
She and LISA stand in front of a giant oil painting in the entrance hallway of Looking Glass House.
77
CONTINUED:
LISA
Name it.
END ALICE’S FLASHBACK
SMASH CUT TO:
THE PRESENT
WIDE ON ALICE AND THE UNDEAD
ALICE lying like a limp rag doll. A dozen figures crowded around her, like an angry lunch line jostling for position. One undead with his hands in her hair. Another with her fingers already in his mouth.
Suddenly ALICE snaps back to life. Her eyes burning with a new found intensity. Her free hand comes up.
ALICE
Get the fuck off me.
With a startlingly professional movement, she snaps the neck of the Undead. Whatever skills have just returned, they’re lethal.
CLOSE ON THE GOLF CART
The others are in trouble.
TWELVE
It won’t start.
MATT
Try it again.
TWELVE
I already did!
The undead are everywhere. MATT, SPENCE and the bloodied J.D. keep firing, but nothing can hold back the tide.
The slide on J.D.’s automatic racks back and stays there. He’s out of ammo. J.D. struggles to load another clip, but his injured hand makes it difficult. He fumbles and drops the spare mag. He stoops to retrieve it, and when he looks back up, he stares straight into a familiar face.
The undead that was dragged behind the cart! His clothes are ripped and torn and covered in dark oily blood.
But he’s back for J.D.
78
CONTINUED:
J.D.
Oh shit!
J.D. struggles with the spare clip.
J.D. (cont’d)
Get in! Get in!
The Undead reaches for or J.D. He tries to fend it of f with his injured hand. But the Undead just grabs a hold of the bandages. With a smile on his face, he sinks his teeth into J.D.’s already wounded hand. The pain is unbearable.
J.D. (cont’d)
Aaaaaah!
MATT turns, alerted by J.D.’s scream. He shoots the Undead and J.D. pushes it off his hand.
MATT looks around. A sea of undead faces. It’s hopeless. Then suddenly a miracle. The dead sea parts as ALICE carves her way through it. She ducks, she kicks, she weaves, she rolls. And everywhere she goes, things die.
ALICE
I got my memory back.
MATT
In that case, what I said earlier .... I take it back. Whoever you are, I think we’re going to get along just fine.
ALICE'S sudden arrival has thrown the undead into confusion, but it won’t last long.
ALICE
We can’t stay here. There’s too many of them.
ALICE looks around. They have to get out of here.
ALICE
Above us!
MATT looks up. He sees the network of pipes and cables hanging from the ceiling.
79
CONTINUED:(2)
ALICE (cont’d)
That’s how we’re getting out.
She turns to the others.
ALICE (cont’d)
Everyone up on the cart.
One by one they climb onto the broken roof of the golf cart. From there they can pull themselves up onto the overhanging pipes. There is an eighteen inch gap between the top of the pipes and the ceiling. Enough room to crawl along.
Down below, the undead reach for them, but their outstretched fingers can’t quite touch the pipes. Ear the moment, they are safe.
Two of the undead try to climb onto the roof of the golf cart, but they don’t have the coordination. The roof collapses, taking them with it.
J.D.
(laughs)
You dumb fucks.
He ties a fresh bandage around his hand. There’s blood everywhere. It drops down onto the undead below, driving them into a frenzy. Like sharks circling their prey.
J.D. (cont’d)
You like that?
He deliberately squeezes a few more drops onto their foreheads.
J.D. (cont’d)
You like that huh?
The undead begin to fight amongst themselves, pushing and jostling, desperate for a taste of blood.
J.D. (cont’d)
You like how that tastes?
They reach their hands out imploringly to J.D.
J.D. (cont’d)
Well fuck you!
MATT
Cool it man. No point in getting them all riled up.
80
CONTINUED:(3)
J.D.
(angry)
What .... you’re worried about their feelings? I’m the one bleeding to death here.
This is about to turn nasty, when ALICE interrupts.
ALICE
Lets get going.
She stares the two men down.
ALICE (cont’d)
That’s if you gentlemen have quite finished.
Everyone can see the change in her character. She’s icy cold. What no one else knows, is the reason why.
She caused all this.
THE PIPES - LATER
The team slowly work their way along the crawlspace. MATT is in the lead, followed by SPENCE and ALICE. J.D. then TWELVE bring up the rear.
J.D. is very pale. He’s lost a lot of blood.
J.D.
I need to rest.
He stops to catch his breath.
ALICE
We have to keep moving.
J.D.
(still not moving)
How much further?
ALICE
From what I remember of the map, not far.
J.D.
Why don’t you just switch on your little friend and ask her?
ALICE shakes her head.
81
CONTINUED:
ALICE
I don’t want to use her unless we have to. Every time she seems to get less reliable.
MATT
She’s definitely forgetting things.
ALICE
Twelve?
TWELVE
I don’t know.
(shrugs)
It’s possible her memory was damaged when we shut her down and transferred her to the box
TWELVE is interrupted by an agonizing cry from below. A large crowd of undead have gathered beneath them. They seem more angry and aggressive than usual.
ALICE glances at J.D.’s wound.
ALICE
They can smell the blood.
A hundred undead fingers reach out towards the live meat above them. Just a few tantalizing inches away.
ALICE (cont’d)
Let’s get going.
J.D.
Why worry? They can’t get to us.
ALICE
I just want to get out of here.
THE PIPES — LATER
They have almost reached the end of the tunnel.
Below, the crowd of undead has become even larger and more unruly. As if they sense that they are about to lose their prey.
ALICE points to something up ahead.
ALICE
That’s the one we want.
82
CONTINUED:
The network of pipes splits in two, one branch disappearing into a vent straight ahead, and a second smaller bundle of pipes veering off into a vent in the side wall.
MACE (cont’d)
Straight ahead. Just another hundred feet.
They pass the junction where the pipes split. Only another fifty feet to go. As before, MATT leads the way. S.D. and TWELVE bringing up the rear.
Below, the undead are getting frantic.
CLOSE ON A SUPPORT BRACKET
One of the metal brackets that hold the pipes to the ceiling. The bolts that fix the bracket to the rock are old and rusted. As MATT passes over this section, we see that one of the bolts is beginning to come loose.
SPENCE is next. His body is heavier and the bolt begins to worm out of the rock. The whole support bracket is beginning to buckle.
MATT
The pipes go into some kind of air shaft.
A mesh screen covers the entrance to the air shaft. MATT uses a knife to pries it away from the rock.
MATT (cont’d)
I think I can get the cover loose.
The mesh screen pops off, a sharp edge cutting MATT'S hand.
MATT (cont’d)
Damn!
MATT lifts the screen away with his bloody hand and tosses it below. The undead scramble all over it. One sticks the mesh in his mouth to lick the traces of blood from it. The undead are working themselves into a frenzy.
CLOSE ON THE RUSTED BOLT
As ALICE passes beneath it. The bolt is almost completely free of the rock. The whole bracket suddenly begins to sag.
ALICE
What is that?
83
CONTINUED:(2)
A harsh metallic Sound as the rusted bolt shoots free.
MATT
The supports .... they’re coming loose!
SPENCE and MATT are already safely in the air vent.
MATT (cont’d)
Hurry! You’ve got to get of f there.
ALICE redoubles her efforts. J.D. and TWELVE are right behind her. But the faster they go, the greater the strain on the support brackets.
BANG! BANG! BANG! Rusted metal bolts shoot free of the ceiling. Loud as gunshots.
A whole length of piping comes free and sags towards the undead. Now suddenly TWELVE, J.D. and ALICE are within reach. Undead fingers reach around their arms, their legs, their throats.
ALICE
(desperate)
No!
She struggles against them. MATT reaches out an arm to her, when CRASH! The whole section of piping finally gives way.
MATT