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FADE IN:

EXT. ABOVE THE MUSEUM AND WAREHOUSE – DAY

SUPER: “SOMETIME IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 21ST CENTURY”

A museum sparkles in brilliant fall sunshine. The museum stands next door to a romanesque-revival red-brick warehouse built sometime in the early twentieth century. The warehouse has been carefully maintained.

Manicured gardens stand in the space between the museum and the warehouse. Behind the museum and the warehouse elevated maglev trains glide silently by. In the distance, the skyline of a futuristic urban utopia.

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EXT. MAGLEV TRAIN PLATFORM – DAY

The platform is not too busy. It is clean and well-maintained. A train has pulled in and is busy loading and unloading passengers.

A SCHOOLTEACHER guides a group of about twenty schoolchildren in uniforms off a train and onto the platform. The group is multi-ethnic, the children about 10 or 11 years old. The children look healthy and well cared-for.

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INT. AN EXHIBITION HALL IN THE MUSEUM – DAY

The Schoolteacher escorts the group of children through an exhibition hall.

The children stop in front of a replica of Jeremy Bentham’s “Auto-Icon,” which sits in a glass case. The Schoolteacher turns to question them.

SCHOOLTEACHER

Now, children, can anyone tell me who this is?

A few hands go up. The schoolteacher calls one of the students out.

SCHOOLTEACHER

Maria?

MARIA

That’s Jeremy Bentham.

SCHOOLTEACHER

Very good, Maria, And can anyone tell us what Mr. Bentham was famous for?

(looks through the group)

Charles?

CHARLES

He taught that what makes things right is having as much happiness as you can, and as little suffering as you can.

SCHOOLTEACHER

Excellent, Charles! You’ve summarized Mr. Bentham’s doctrine of “utilitarianism.” Now can anyone tell us how this image of Mr. Bentham was made?

There is MURMURING and uncertainty among the students.

SCHOOLTEACHER

Well, as it happens, as a utilitarian, Mr. Bentham thought that it was right to make the very best use of everything we have. When he died, over two hundred years ago, most people who died were just buried in the ground, where they were not much use to anyone and took up valuable land.

(brightens)

Mr. Bentham’s idea was that our dead bodies could continue to be sources of education and inspiration to future generations, just like statues but more real. And so after he died, he had himself preserved and put on display. He called this an “auto-icon.”

There is a chorus of “ews” and “icks” from the assembled schoolchildren.

SCHOOLTEACHER

Now, children, don’t be too upset. What you see here is just a replica. Mr. Bentham’s real “auto-icon” is at University College in London. But…

(grins, perhaps a little wickedly)

…a little later on in this tour we are going to see some real “auto-icons.” They were not made because they were famous writers like Mr. Bentham, but because they were great heroines who did things that make all your lives better and safer today.

This time the chorus of children’s reactions mixes “ews” and “icks” with whistles and exclamations like “cool!”

SCHOOLTEACHER

Let’s move along now.

The Schoolteacher ushers the children into the next gallery.

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INT. DR. LAL’S OFFICE – DAY

A well-appointed executive office in an ultra-modern glass-and steel setting. Harry is big wearing a a white lab-coat over his suit. He is sitting behind his desk and reading something on a screen.

The phone on Harry’s desk RINGS. Harry answers it.

HARRY

(into phone)

Hari Lal here.

(frowns)

No, Linda. You know I can’t see anybody without an appointment. Did you get his name?

(expression changes to surprise)

Oh, that’s different. Send him right in.

GEORGE ROCKE, tanned, excellently groomed, wearing a jacket over a polo shirt and slacks, enters. George carries himself like a man who expects only good things from life. Harry gets up to greet him.

HARRY

George! This is an unexpected pleasure. How is the real estate business?

Harry and George shake hands.

GEORGE

The property racket has been good, Harry. Very, very good.

Harry gestures for George to sit down at a small table in another part of his office. They sit.

HARRY

Not that I ever mind a visit from an old friend and principal investor, George, but…

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INT. DR. LAL’S OFFICE – DAY

LINDA BAINS enters, all silent middle-aged secretarial professionalism. She also carries a silver coffee service, which she sets on the table.

HARRY

Thank you, Linda.

LINDA

Will you need anything else, Dr. Lal?

HARRY

No, that will be all. Please be sure to close the door on your way out.

Linda leaves. George sits, silent and nonchalant, until the CLICK of the door closing. Then he leans forward with a concerned look on his face, his air of easy confidence dissipated. Harry pour coffee for George and himself as George talks.

GEORGE

This isn’t about the investment, Harry. I’m here because…well, I’ve got a strange problem and I’m not really sure what to do about it.

Harry hands George a cup of coffee on a saucer.

HARRY

Oh? What kind of problem?

George takes a swig of coffee before putting the cup on the table.

GEORGE

We’ve been doing some good business lately, redeveloping old red-brick warehouses down by the riverfront. You know the story. You buy the decaying property, gut it, rebuild the interior with condos, shops, and restaurants. Tear out the rail spur that used to feed the place and turn it into a bike path. And now you’ve got an industrial-chic property right near downtown. Young professional types, they eat that shit up. Before you know it you’re practically printing money.

HARRY

Okay, so what’s the catch?

GEORGE

So we acquire this property, right? And I send in one of my engineers to do a preliminary survey. Ten minutes in I get a phone call. “Mr. Rocke, sir, you need to come down and see this.” Guy sounded real shaken up. So I go down.

HARRY

And what did you see?

GEORGE

Right there in the main floor, there was…something. Something I can’t describe, except that it was…big,

HARRY

Big?

GEORGE

I swear to you Harry, it wasn’t there when we signed on the place. Someone must have put it there. Or maybe it grew there or crawled into there or…I don’t know. It was alive and it was moving and I can’t really say more than that.

HARRY

I don’t understand, George. Why come to me? Why not go to…animal control?

GEORGE

You don’t understand. This thing is monstrous and I don’t need the media circus, to say nothing of perhaps the fucking Environmental Protection Agency, coming down on me just because it showed up on my property.

HARRY

George, I…

George leans forward and puts a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

GEORGE

Harry, you remember back in college? You were always the science genius, the Phi Beta Kappa guy, the guy who knew how to solve things and fix things. And I’m the guy who barely got a C-minus in introductory biology and that was with your help.

HARRY

Well…

George sits back

GEORGE

I’m asking you for your help again now.

HARRY

I don’t know, exactly…

GEORGE

I will also make it worth your while. You want to make the drugs of the future, right? Well, I wasn’t kidding when I told you that business was really good, and I can really help you, if you would help me. At least just take a look and give me some advice about how to handle this.

Harry sits and sips coffee for a minute thinking matters over.

HARRY

I suppose I and some of my people could come out and take a look.

GEORGE

(happy, relieved)

Great! That’s great! One thing…

HARRY

Yes?

GEORGE

You know those spacesuit things you science guys sometimes wear?

HARRY

You mean Hazmat suits? Sure, we have those. Why?

GEORGE

You might want to wear them, just to be safe.

Harry steeples his fingers, looking pensive.

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EXT. A WAREHOUSE-DISTRICT STREET – DAY

A large van with an OIKOS GALENOU LLC logo on its side drives down a street in an urban district that consists largely of old, abandoned red-brick factories and warehouses.

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INT. THE VAN INTERIOR – DAY

Harry, DR. ROSALIE QUISP, DR. JOE TUCKER, and George ride in the back of the van, which has cabinets of equipment and a small decontamination shower in its corner.

Harry, Joe, and Rosalie are all already wearing full-body Hazmat suits. Rosalie is helping George with the last details of getting his on.

ROSALIE

(over radio)

How’s that, Mr. Rocke? Breathing okay?

George gestures and points and appears to be trying to say something.

ROSALIE

(over radio)

You’ll need to turn your radio mike on.

Rosalie flicks a switch on the side of George’s helmet.

george

(over radio)

Jesus! How do you people work in these things?

Rosalie shrugs.

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EXT. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE – DAY

The van pulls up besides the loading dock of an old brick warehouse, all of its windows either boarded up or blacked out. The back door opens, and George, Harry, Joe, and Rosalie, all in their hazmat suits, pile out.

Joe goes up an old loading-dock door and yanks on it, GRUNTING and straining. After some effort the door slides open with a SQUEAL.

HARRY

(over radio)

Good work, Joe. So let’s go take a look.

The four file through the door.

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INT. INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE – DAY

The warehouse interior is dark. It is all murky shadows and nothing can be seen distinctly.

JOE

(over radio)

Clear as mud.

GEORGE

(over radio)

We put in a master switch over here by the door.

An ECOHING CHONK as George throws the master switch. Bright white lights, recently installed, illuminate the warehouse interior.

Amidst waste and rubble the GYNOPHAGE is suddenly visible. The Gynophage is a monster shaped like a squat amphora without handles, about ten feet in diameter and twelve feet tall. The mouth of the “amphora” is a feeding siphon.

Many long tentacles project out from the Gyonphage’s body. There end in “grabbers,” “eyes,” “mouths,” “claws,” and phallic-like structures.

As Harry’s group enters, the Gynophage’s feeding siphon stands up, and its tentacles begin to stir and wave around. There is a round of GASPS and EXCITED UTTERANCES from Joe, Rosalie, and Harry.

HARRY

(over radio)

I can see why you had trouble describing this in my office, George.

Harry steps forward to about the outer reach of the Gynophage’s tentacles.

An eye-tentacle moves forward slowly and stares at Harry though Harry’s suit’s faceplate. The tentacle rests dead still as the eye watches Harry.

HARRY

(over radio)

Amazing…absolutely amazing.

Rosalie steps forward, a bit hesitantly, putting her hand on Harry’s arm as if to pull him back a bit.

ROSALIE

(over radio)

Dr. Lal, are you sure…

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INT. INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE – DAY

As soon as Rosalie’s voice is heard over the radio, four tentacles shoot forward — two eyes and two “mouth” tentacles. Rosalie is beyond their reach, so the stop short of her.

Rosalie flinches and GASPS. The tentacles “eyes” continue to watch her, the “mouths” hovering as near to her as they can get. These tentacles are not still, but waving and occasionally straining forth, as if conveying excitement.

JOE

(over radio)

It seems eager to meet new people, whatever it is.

GEORGE

(over radio)

I suppose you think this might call for more investment, Harry?

Harry partway turns, looking over his shoulder at George.

HARRY

(over radio)

Speaking as a scientist, George, I would say that there is nothing on earth like…this. Who knows what sort of exotic biochemistry we might be dealing with here?

Harry turns back and gazes up at the Gynophage.

HARRY

(over radio)

Speaking as a businessman, I’d say the potential for profitable discoveries might be…unlimited.

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