EPISODE 5: Revelations
PRODUCTION CODE: #467055
WRITER: Laurence Andries & Chris Levinson
DIRECTOR: Jim Charleston
EDITOR: Anthony Pinker

TRANSCRIBED BY: Karen King

***********************


THE SHOW OPENS. NUEVO LAREDO, U.S./MEXICAN BORDER. A MEXICAN FLAG FLUTTERS
IN THE BREEZE ABOVE A TILE-ROOFED GUARDHOUSE. A BOX TRUCK BUMPS OVER THE
DUSTY TERRAIN, FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY AN SUV WITH A MAN HANGING OUT THE
PASSENGER WINDOW, SHOOTING AT THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK MAKES THE ROAD AND THE
SUV PULLS UP ALONG SIDE IT. THE TRUCK SWERVES TOWARDS THE SUV, TRYING TO RUN
IT OFF THE ROAD. MEN HANG OUT OF ALL THE WINDOWS NOW, SHOOTING AT THE TRUCK.
A BULLET HITS THE TRUCK TIRE JUST AS IT NEARS THE GUARDHOUSE. MEXICAN COPS
WAIT, GUNS DRAWN, BLOCKING THE ROAD WITH THEIR VEHICLES. THE COPS FIRE AT
THE TRUCK THAT IS BEARING DOWN ON THEM, AND IT VEERS FROM THE ROAD BLOCK AND
CRASHES THROUGH THE GUARDHOUSE, REACHING AMERICAN SOIL. THE TRUCK PASSES A
WAITING CAR. ATTWOOD SITS IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, WATCHING THE WHOLE SCENE
UNFOLD.

NEXT SCENE

SLOAN'S APARTMENT. TOM IS SLEEPING FITFULLY IN SLOAN'S BED. THE CAMERA PANS
BACK AND WE SEE SLOAN WATCHING HIM FROM A CHAIR AT THE FOOT OF THE BED. SHE
RISES FROM THE CHAIR AND TURNS TOWARDS THE KITCHEN.

Tom: Don't go.

SLOAN WALKS OVER TO THE BED AND SITS NEXT TO TOM.

Sloan: How are you feeling?
Tom: I'm a little sore.
Sloan: Oh, your shirt's soaked through. Let me get you another one.

HE NODS AND SHE GETS UP AND RETRIEVES A SHIRT FROM HER DRESSER. TOM SLOWLY
PULLS HIMSELF INTO A SITTING POSITION.

Tom: How long have I been asleep?
Sloan: Almost a day.
Tom: Whew...

SLOAN BRINGS THE SHIRT AND SITS ON THE BED AGAIN, NEXT TO TOM. TOM GRABS
SLOAN'S HANDS. SHE LOOKS UP FROM THE SHIRT AT HIM.

Tom: You saved my life.

HE REACHES UP AND CARESSES HER CHEEK.

Tom: I'll never forget looking up, seeing you in that place.
Sloan: (stricken at the memory) Neither will I.

HE NODS AND SLOWLY DROPS HIS HAND FROM HER FACE.

Sloan: It was so dangerous for you to....I just hope it was worth it.

TOM CLOSES HIS EYES AND EXHALES.

Sloan: Did you get any of the answers you were looking for?
Tom: Some. I learned that uh, wiping put my childhood memories was part of
my training.
Sloan: Why would they do that?
Tom: If something went wrong on one of my assignments, I couldn't betray any
secrets.
Sloan: Did you learn that from your mother?

TOM TILTS HIS HEAD AND WEIGHS WHAT SLOAN HAS JUST SAID.

Tom: How do you know about my mother?
Sloan: I met her. Would she have killed you?

TOM EXHALES IMPATIENTLY, ROLLING HIS EYES, HIS LIPS DRAWING INTO A THIN LINE,
CLOSING THE CONVERSATION.

Sloan: Here, let me help you.

SLOAN PULLS TOM FORWARD TO REMOVE THE SOAKED SHIRT. IN DOING SO, SHE AGAIN
SEES THE TATTOO UPON HIS BACK. SHE STROKES HER HAND OVER IT.

Sloan: Did you find out anything about the tattoo?

SHIRT OFF, TOM SITS BACK TO ANSWER SLOAN. HE SIGHS.

Tom: We didn't get that far.

THE PHONE RINGS. SLOAN GETS OFF THE BED AND GOES TO ANSWER IT. SHE PICKS UP
THE PHONE AS TOM GETS OUT FROM UNDER THE BEDCOVERS AND UNFOLDS THE SHIRT.

Sloan: Hello?
Ed: (frantically) Sloan, you are not going to believe it. It's incredible.
Sloan: Whoa, whoa! Ed! Slow down.
Ed: Ok, you know the storage warehouses down on Roscoe, right near Sherman
Way?
Sloan: Uh, I've driven by them.

CUT TO ED, STANDING IN A PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF A LARGE, FEATURELESS
BUILDING.

Ed: Well, drive by them again, now. Number 38. And Sloan....bring Tom.

CUT BACK TO SLOAN ON THE PHONE. TOM IS JUST PUTTING THE SHIRT ON. (DARNIT!)
SHE LOOKS BACK AT HIM. (TOO LATE, SWEETHEART, HE'S FULLY CLOTHED!)

CUT TO THE INSIDE OF A WAREHOUSE. WE SEE A LARGE PILLAR, THE PILLAR FROM
OAXACA. IT HAS BEEN UNEARTHED. THE CAMERA PANS UP IT AND WE SEE IT IS STILL
ENCRUSTED WITH SAND AND DIRT. A MAN IN A CHERRY PICKER STANDS NEAR THE TOP,
WRITING ON A CLIPBOARD.

NEXT SCENE

OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE. SLOAN AND TOM PULL UP AND GET OUT OF HER CAR. HE
LOOKS GOOD. REAL GOOD. BLACK PANTS (A BIT TOO BAGGY, BUT BEGGARS CAN'T BE
CHOOSERS) AND A FANTASTIC BLACK HEATHERED SWEATER, WITH JUST THE SLIGHTEST
V-NECK. TOM PACES OVER TO THE DOORS AS SLOAN RUNS UP AND RINGS THE BELL. ED
PEEKS HIS HEAD OUT.

Ed: Hey. Thanks for coming.
Sloan: (with a smile) So what's the big mystery?
Ed: Come on in.

THEY ENTER THE WAREHOUSE AND SLOAN SLOWLY WALKS TOWARDS THE PILLAR, MOUTH
AGAPE. SHE STOPS DEAD.

Sloan: Oh, my God. I don't believe it.

TOM PASSES HER AND STRIDES OVER TO THE PILLAR. ATTWOOD IS IN THE CHERRY
PICKER WITH THE CLIPBOARD. SLOAN SEES HIM AND RACES BACK TO ED.

Sloan: What is Attwood doing here?
Ed: He got us the pillar.
Sloan: (flustered) You, you should've told me! It's too dangerous for Tom!

Ed: We need Tom.

TOM PAUSES IN FRONT OF THE PILLAR. SLOAN AND ED WALK TOWARDS IT.

Sloan: This is amazing. Ed, if we could just decipher what's on there, it
could tell us so much.
Ed: I know. I know--about them, about what they're planning.
Sloan: It could be a Rosetta stone for the entire species.
Ed: If we can decipher it.

TOM STEPS FORWARD AND TOUCHES AN EXPOSED PORTION OF THE PILLAR. IMMEDIATELY
HE FLASHES ON IMAGES OF THE MAN BY THE CAMPFIRE, THE WOMAN IN THE WHITE
DRESS--HIS MOTHER. ATTWOOD DESCENDS FROM THE CHERRY PICKER. TOM REMOVES HIS
HAND. SLOAN WALKS OVER TO TOM.

Sloan: What is it?

TOM IS EXAMINING HIS FIST.

Sloan: Do you know what that marking means?

SHE GESTURES TO THE SPOT ON THE PILLAR THAT TOM HAS JUST TOUCHED.

Tom: No.
Sloan: Could it be some kind of language?
Attwood: Quite possibly.

ATTWOOD STEPS FROM AROUND THE PILLAR, WRITING ON HIS CLIPBOARD.

Attwood: Sloan. Mr. Daniels, what brings you here?
Sloan: I asked him to come. Walter, this is incredible. I can't believe
you got it here.

TOM STEPS AWAY FROM THE PILLAR.

Attwood: It wasn't easy.
Sloan: Well, we should get to work cleaning it so we can see the entire
surface.

ED PIPES UP FROM IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER.

Ed: Uh, that's not gonna be possible.

SLOAN LOOKS BACK AT ED.

Attwood: We tried cleaning a test area. It nearly destroyed the markings on
the surface.
Sloan: What are we gonna do?
Attwood: Well, we'll read through the layer of rock and debris to the uh,
surface underneath.
Ed: (at Sloan's questioning look) Laser scanner.

SLOAN GIVES ED A 'WELL, WHATDYA KNOW' LOOK.

Attwood: We'll have to work fast. They'll do whatever it takes to get this
back.
Sloan: That must mean that there's something pretty significant about the
pillar. Or what's inscribed on it.
Attwood: Mm-hmmm. Mr. Daniels, have you ever seen this object before?

ED LOOKS UP FROM THE COMPUTER. TOM TILTS HIS HEAD AND STUDIES ATTWOOD.

Sloan: Walter, I don't know--
Attwood: (ignoring Sloan's protestations as he fixes his gaze upon Tom) I
think you know about the pillar and where it comes from and I also suspect
you are not one of us.

EVERYONE PAUSES AND LOOKS AT ONE ANOTHER AT THIS STATEMENT. TOM CONTINUES TO
STUDY ATTWOOD.

Sloan: Walter, he's done nothing but help us.
Attwood: I know, Sloan. And I knew he was no FBI agent. I knew he was
traveling with you in Mexico. I knew he brought the mummy back. And I knew
he was on our side.

ATTWOOD WALKS OVER TO TOM.

Attwood: I'm delighted to have an expert on our team.

ATTWOOD EXTENDS HIS HAND. TOM TILTS HIS HEAD, GAGING ATTWOOD'S INTENT, THEN
EXTENDS HIS OWN HAND TO SHAKE ATTWOOD'S. (NICE SHOT OF A VERY NICE HAND...)

Ed: (relieved the tension is over) Alright, uh, first step--scan everything
into the computer.

ED TURNS IN HIS CHAIR AND FOCUSES HIS ATTENTION ON THE SCREEN. ATTWOOD STEPS
AWAY FROM TOM.

Attwood: And there may be another aspect we should try.

TOM GIVES SLOAN A 'WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT' LOOK AS HE GIVES A SMALL FLICK
WITH HIS HAND.

Attwood: The village this pillar came from was not the only one in the area.
Sloan: But all the other villages were abandoned a long time ago.
Attwood: And where do you think those inhabitants went? The INS gave me a
list of people from that area who have immigrated to Los Angeles between
1949 and 1956...

TOM LOOKS UP AT THIS. HE'S BEEN STUDYING THE PILLAR AGAIN AS THE SCIENTISTS
CONGREGATE AROUND THE COMPUTER.

Attwood: ...when that region dried up.
Sloan: Then some of those people could've seen the pillar.

ATTWOOD OFFERS SLOAN A PAPER.

Attwood: This is a list I've pre-screened. You should have at least one hit.

SLOAN TAKES THE PAPER.

Sloan: Some of these names--
Attwood: Could be members of the new species, yes.
Sloan: Well. I can't afford to be scared off.

SHE TURNS TO GO. ED CALLS TO HER.

Ed: Sloan, come on. You can't go!
Sloan: It's gotta be me, I'm the only one who knows any Spanish! But I'll
take Ray Peterson with me, okay?
Attwood: Excellent idea.

SLOAN LOOKS AT TOM. HE NODS A GOOD-BYE. SHE RUSHES OUT.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE POLICE STATION IN RAY'S OFFICE. RAY SITS AT HIS DESK AND SLOAN SITS
IN THE CHAIR OPPOSITE.

Ray: Aren't you scared Attwood's gonna throw a net over Tom?
Sloan: (thinking about it) Actually, no.
Ray: How is Tom? He took quite a beating.
Sloan: Better. How's your shoulder?
Ray: (making a derisive sound) I took harder hits trying to block the plate
in high school. So, now you wanna get us into more trouble.
Sloan: (smiling) I count on you to keep us out of it.
Ray: (standing up from his desk) Let's go.

RAY GRABS HIS COAT AND THEY LEAVE HIS OFFICE. ANOTHER DETECTIVE POINTEDLY
WATCHES THEM LEAVE.

NEXT SCENE

RAY AND SLOAN WALK DOWN A BUSY RESIDENTIAL SIDEWALK.

Sloan: You told your wife about the new species yet?
Ray: I'm working up to it.

WE SEE THAT SOMEONE IS TAKING PHOTOS OF THEM AS THEY WALK DOWN THE SIDEWALK.
RAY AND SLOAN ARE UNAWARE OF THIS.

Sloan: There's no reason not to, you know.
Ray: Sure there is. It's frightening and there's nothing she can do.
Sloan: You can't let it come between you.

RAY STOPS, ENDING THE CONVERSATION.

Ray: This is the address.

SLOAN SHAKES HER HEAD, THEN FOLLOWS HIM.

NEXT SCENE

ATTWOOD STANDS OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE. A LIMO PULLS UP. ATTWOOD APPROACHES
THE VEHICLE AS THE WINDOW LOWERS, REVEALING LIMO LADY.

Limo Lady: Any luck deciphering the pillar?
Attwood: Not yet.
Limo Lady: Who do you have working on it?
Attwood: Ed and Sloan.
Limo Lady: Anyone else?
Attwood: No.
Limo Lady: I'd like to see it.
Attwood: This wouldn't be a good time. They have to keep working.
Limo Lady: Well, I'd rather see it sooner than later.
Attwood: Oh, of course.

THEY GIVE EACH OTHER SMUG SMILES, ACKNOWLEDGING THE POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN
THEM, THEN THE WINDOW IS RAISED AND LIMO LADY IS DRIVEN AWAY.

NEXT SCENE

RAY AND SLOAN ARE AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, SPEAKING TO A WOMAN OF MEXICAN
DESCENT IN HER 50S.

Woman: We left when I was 10.
Sloan: Why did you go?
Woman: The fields, they dried up. The crops, they wouldn't grow.
Everything turned to dust. It's been a long time.
Sloan: Did you search the area for water?
Woman: Oh, we walked in every direction. There was none.
Sloan: Have you ever seen this?

SLOAN SHOWS HER A PHOTO OF THE PILLAR IN THE EXCAVATED CRATER.

Sloan: You have seen it, haven't you?
Woman: I don't know this, but I hear stories.
Sloan: From whom? Where can we find them?
Woman: Camina con dios.

RAY LOOKS QUESTIONINGLY AT SLOAN.

Sloan: She says they walk with God.

THE THREE TURN AS A CAR SUDDENLY SQUEALS UP TO THE CURB. TWO MEN POINT GUNS
OUT THE WINDOWS, SHOOTING AT RAY, SLOAN AND THE WOMAN. RAY GRABS THE WOMAN
AND PUSHES HER TO THE WALL, COVERING HER.

Ray: Everybody down!

THE GUNMEN CONTINUE FIRING. GLASS SHATTERS, WOOD SPLINTERS AND SHARDS FROM
CLAY POTS FLY THROUGH THE AIR. THE CAR SPEEDS OFF, TIRES SQUEALING.

Ray: (to Woman) You ok?
Woman: (breathlessly) Yes.

RAY RUSHES OUT ONTO THE SIDEWALK TRYING TO FOLLOW THE CAR, BUT IT IS TOO FAR
AWAY. RAY CATCHES SIGHT OF IT SPEEDING AROUND A CORNER, THEN IT IS GONE.

Ray: (grabbing his portable radio) Look, this is Unit 2. I have shots
fired at nine-twelve Duncan.

SLOAN JOINS HIM OUT ON THE SIDEWALK.

Sloan: Was that for us?
Ray: I don't know. It's hard to tell in this neighborhood.

NEXT SCENE

BACK AT THE WAREHOUSE. ED IS STANDING BEFORE THE PILLAR, PUSHING BUTTONS ON
A SMALL HANDHELD DEVICE. WE HEAR TOM'S VOICE (SIGH).

Tom: Height--five meters. Circumference--three meters.

WE SEE TOM SITTING BEFORE THE COMPUTERS, READING THE RESULTS OF THE LASER
SCANNING OF THE PILLAR.

Tom: Diameter--one meter. All prime numbers.
Ed: Approximate weight, uh, three metric tons. Seeing that this thing was
carved in Mexico, you'd think there'd be Aztec or Mayan influences but these
are like nothing I've ever seen.
Tom: (studying the computer screens) I think that was the plan.
Ed: (walking away from the pillar and towards Tom) Symbolic anthropology's
not my field. Man, I got a friend at Dartmouth who would love to get his
hands on this.
Tom: Fewer people that know about it the better.
Ed: Yeah, you say that uh, you don't remember anything abut the pillar, yet,
you know, you're just spitting off these grave predictions.
Tom: (turning to look at Ed) They put up a fight for it. Anyone who knows
about it must be at risk.
Ed: And how do you know they put up a fight?
Tom: (looking back at the computer screen in front of him) I'll take Dr.
Attwood at his word.
Ed: I knew you two'd hit it off.

TOM FLASHES ON AN IMAGE OF HIS MOTHER BY THE FIRELIGHT AS ED WALKS AWAY FROM
HIM.

NEXT SCENE

ANOTHER RESIDENTIAL STREET. CHILDREN PLAY BALL AS CARS DRIVE BY. RAY AND
SLOAN WALK BRISKLY DOWN A SIDEWALK.

Ray: Are you sure you're alright? You wanna call it a day?
Sloan: (smiling) I'd like nothing better but we can't. They could find the
pillar at any time.
Ray: (consulting a paper) Well, this is the next to the last name on
Attwood's list.
Sloan: I'm sure he could come up with more.
Ray: That makes me feel better.

THEY STOP.

Ray: Let's see, 1489 should be right across the street. There it is.

RAY POINTS AND THE CAMERA PANS OVER TO THE REMAINS OF A BURNT-OUT HOUSE.
SLOAN LOOKS AT RAY. THEY WALK OVER TO THE REMAINS.

Ray: Burnt to the ground. We've seen this before.
Sloan: They've covered their tracks and moved on. Just like the others. At
least we know we're on the right track.
Ray: Right track. One step behind, Dr. Parker. The next address is twelve
blocks up.

CUT TO RAY AND SLOAN NEARING THE NEXT ADDRESS. RAY IS SPEAKING ON HIS CELL
PHONE AS THEY WALK.

Ray: No.....Yeah. I wasn't close enough to get a plate number. It was a
California white plate, that's all I could tell.

SLOAN SPOTS SOMETHING AS THEY WALK ALONG. SHE GOES OVER TO INVESTIGATE AND
RAY NOTICES HER WALKING OFF.

Ray: I'll call you back, Jim.

HE SHUTS OFF THE PHONE AND APPROACHES SLOAN, CROUCHED NEXT TO A SMALL GIRL
WHO IS DRAWING ON THE SIDEWALK WITH CHALK. SLOAN LOOKS UP AT RAY.

Sloan: These are the same markings that are on the pillar.

NEXT SCENE

RAY AND SLOAN STAND ON A BALCONY OUTSIDE THE DOOR TO A THIRD FLOOR APARTMENT.
THE LITTLE GIRL FROM THE SIDEWALK HAS LED THEM HERE.

Sloan: (to Girl) This one?

AT THE LITTLE GIRL'S NOD, RAY KNOCKS ON THE DOOR. A WOMAN OF MEXICAN DESCENT
IN HER 50S OPENS THE DOOR.

Woman: Yes?

SHE SEES THE LITTLE GIRL AND CALLS TO HER IN SPANISH, GESTURING HER INSIDE.
THE GIRL ENTERS THE APARTMENT AND STANDS WITH THE WOMAN.

Ray: Hello.

HE GETS HIS BADGE OUT AND SHOWS IT TO THE WOMAN.

Ray: I'm Detective Peterson. May I ask your name?
Woman: Blanca Leon. What has my granddaughter done?
Sloan: Oh, no, nothing. Uh, does Daniela live here with you?
Blanca: No, I watch her while her parents work.
Ray: Mrs. Leon, are you originally from the United States?
Blanca: (confused) Why? I haven't done anything.
Sloan: It's just that we saw Daniela drawing something on the street.
Daniela: Abuela, (something in Spanish).
Sloan: A pattern. She says she learned it from you.
Blanca: She's a child. She doesn't know.
Sloan: She knows enough to make this drawing very detailed.

BLANCA STARTS TO GET VERY AGITATED. SHE PUSHES DANIELA FURTHER INTO THE
APARTMENT AND STARTS TO CLOSE THE DOOR.

Blanca: No, no, no! Please, please leave me alone!

BLANCA SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT. SLOAN LOOKS AT RAY.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE WAREHOUSE. THE PILLAR LOOMS IN THE DIM LIGHT. TOM CIRCLES IT AS ED
TYPES ON THE COMPUTER. ED SIGHS.

Ed: (frustrated) I tried running the scanned patterns both sequentially and
in random pairings. I keep coming up empty here. I can't match these
markings to any language spoken or pictorial.

TOM TOUCHES THE PILLAR AND AGAIN FLASHES ON THE IMAGE OF THE MAN WALKING
FORWARD WITH THE STYLUS AND HIS MOTHER, YOUNG, FOLLOWING AFTER THE MAN.
SLOAN WALKS AROUND THE DESK AND SITS DOWN NEXT TO ED. TOM'S VISION FINISHES
AND HE SITS DOWN ON THE PLATFORM UPON WHICH THE PILLAR RESTS, HIS HAND TO HIS
TEMPLE.

Sloan: (to Ed) Progress?
Ed: I think we're bonding.
Sloan (delighted) You and Tom?
Ed: Me and the pillar. I'm in love with her and she's playing hard to get.
Story of my life.
Sloan: So you mean you haven't even gotten to first base?
Ed: (giving Sloan a look) Very cute.
Sloan: We found a woman who probably saw the pillar.

TOM LOOKS UP AT THIS.

Ed: That's great.
Sloan: Except she won't talk about it. She slammed the door in our face.
Tom: She's scared.

SLOAN LOOKS OVER HER SHOULDER AT TOM WHERE HE STILL SITS BEFORE THE PILLAR.

Sloan: Of the past. I know. I couldn't get through to her.
Tom: No. She's scared of what might happen now.

SLOAN AND ED LOOK AT EACH OTHER, THEN AT THE SCANNED IMAGE OF THE PILLAR ON
THE COMPUTER SCREEN.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE POLICE STATION. RAY TAKES HIS SPORT COAT OFF AND ENTERS HIS OFFICE.
THE DETECTIVE THAT WAS WATCHING HIM BEFORE (LT. QUINN) FOLLOWS HIM IN.

Lt. Quinn: Peterson. So good of you to drop by.

RAY TURNS AT THE MAN'S VOICE.

Lt. Quinn: Looked for ya this afternoon.
Ray: Canvassing in East L.A.
Lt. Quinn: Oh really? On which case?
Ray: An open one.
Lt. Quinn: Ah.

THE LIEUTENANT LOOKS DOWN. HE'S CARRYING THE PHOTOS OF RAY AND SLOAN THAT
WERE TAKEN EARLIER. HE SHOWS THEM TO RAY, DROPPING THEM ON RAY'S DESK.

Lt. Quinn: You wanna try again?
Ray: Okay. The Lynch case.
Lt. Quinn: The Lynch case? The same Lynch you think was involved in the
murder of that anthropologist? Come on, Ray, that case closed when he set
himself on fire.
Ray: But--
Lt. Quinn: But nothing. You're dropping the ball here. Your caseload is
backing up and you're never around.

RAY LOOKS DOWN.

Lt. Quinn: And as you can see, I am not the only one who has been wondering
what you've been up to. You've become I.A.'s pet project.
Ray: Huh, I.A.? There's nothing for them to be sticking their noses into.
Lt. Quinn: Well they're sticking them in anyway. Look Ray, you've always
been a good cop, I know that. I'll try to protect, but you've gotta forget
about this.
Ray: There's reasons for doing what I'm doing.
Lt. Quinn: (testily) I hope they're good ones. Why don't you take the rest
of the day off and think it over.

THE LIEUTENANT STALKS OUT OF THE OFFICE.

NEXT SCENE

AT RAY'S HOME. HIS WIFE, GRACE, WALKS ACROSS THE KITCHEN, CARRYING TWO
PLATES TO THE KITCHEN TABLE. RAY SITS IN A CHAIR IN THE LIVING ROOM,
DRINKING SOME SCOTCH. HIS YOUNG SON BOUNDS DOWN THE STAIRS AND RUSHES
THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM.

Ray: Slow down!
Grace: (looking at her son as she enters the living room) Lucky you. Got
off early today.
Ray: Yeah.

THE BOY RACES AROUND THE SOFA. RAY GRABS HIM AS HE PASSES THE CHAIR WHERE
RAY SITS.

Ray: I said slow it down! That's enough Matt!
Matt: Sorry Daddy.
Ray: Is your homework finished?
Matt: No.
Ray: Well then go upstairs and do it.

THE BOY LEAVES. GRACE APPROACHES, TICKED OFF.

Grace: He was only playing.
Ray: He wasn't listening. I just have a headache, that's all.
Grace: Then take two aspirin and leave Matt alone!
Ray: Fine.
Grace: No, it's not 'fine', Ray. Every evening you plunk yourself down, you
put scotch in that glass and you throw this wall around yourself!
Ray: I just ....need to think some things through, some cases.
Grace: I can handle whatever it is, Ray. Anything is better than this.
Ray: You don't know that.
Grace: Yes, I do.
Ray: I'll work it out.
Grace: You'd better make it soon.
Ray: Meaning.
Grace: You and Matt. He's slipping away from you Ray. Can't you feel it?

GRACE WALKS AWAY FROM HIM. RAY SIGHS.

NEXT SCENE

RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. RAY AND SLOAN WALK DOWN AN OUTDOOR ENTRANCEWAY TO
AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.

Ray: You think Blanca will be here?
Sloan: She seemed a little nervous before when she saw your badge.
Ray: Well maybe she's an illegal.

A YOUNG GIRL SCREAMS FROM ABOVE.

Girl: Abuela! Abuela!
Sloan: Daniela!

SLOAN AND RAY RUSH UP THE STAIRS AS DANIELA RUSHES DOWN TO MEET THEM.

Sloan: Where's your grandmother, honey?
Daniela: (pointing up the stairs) The men, they take her!

RAY RUSHES FORWARD, GUN DRAWN. HE EXITS THE STAIRWELL AND WALKS OUT ONTO THE
THIRD FLOOR BALCONY.

Ray: Police! Freeze!

WE SEE A MAN WITH HIS ARM AROUND BLANCA'S NECK, DRAGGING HER DOWN THE BALCONY
WITH HIM. HE'S POINTING HIS GUN AT RAY.

Ray: I said freeze!

RAY ADVANCES ON THE MAN. BLANCA SAYS SOMETHING HYSTERICALLY IN SPANISH. THE
MAN TURNS TO FACE RAY.

Ray: Drop the gun!

A DOOR OPENS BEHIND THE MAN AND HE TURNS TO LOOK. RAY SHOOTS AND HITS THE
GUY IN THE BACK. BLANCA USES THE MAN'S DISTRACTION TO PUSH OFF HIS ARM, THEN
SCREAMS AND PUSHES THE MAN OVER THE BALCONY. HE FALLS, LANDING WITH A GROAN
BY THE POOL. RAY LOOKS DOWN AT HIM. THE MAN WRITHES ON THE CONCRETE.
SUDDENLY WE HEAR ANOTHER SCREAM. RAY TURNS TO LOOK. ANOTHER MAN HAS COME UP
BEHIND SLOAN AND DANIELA, AND IS HOLDING THEM CAPTIVE, AN ARM AROUND EACH OF
THEIR NECKS. THE FALLEN MAN GETS UP AND RUNS OFF. RAY AND BLANCA STEP
TOWARDS SLOAN AND DANIELA.

Ray: It's gonna be alright, Sloan. Back-up's on its way.

HE STARES AT THE SECOND MAN.

Ray: You let them go, you walk out of here.
Sloan: It's true. We don't want you.
Ray: At least, let the little girl go. She can't hurt you.

THE SECOND MAN LOOKS DOWN AT DANIELA, THEN PUSHES HER AWAY. DANIELA RUNS TO
HER GRANDMA. THE SECOND MAN TIGHTENS HIS HOLD ON SLOAN AND STARTS BACKING
TOWARDS THE STAIRWELL.

Ray: NO! See, I can't let you walk out of here with her.
Second Man: (with an evil smile) That's alright. I'll leave her here.

THE SECOND MAN POSITIONS HIS HANDS AROUND SLOAN'S NECK, PREPARING TO SNAP IT.
BELOW WE SEE A NUMBER OF UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS RUSH UP, GUNS DRAWN.

First Ofc.: Police! Freeze!

THE SECOND MAN THROWS SLOAN TO THE SIDE AND GRABS A GUN FROM HIS WAISTBAND.
RAY SHOOTS HIM TWICE. SLOAN IS STRICKEN. RAY BENDS OVER THE FALLEN MAN AND
CHECKS HIS PULSE. HE'S DEAD.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE BIO LAB. SLOAN AND RAY ENTER THE LAB WITH BLANCA.

Blanca: What is this place? Why am I here?
Sloan: We want to talk to you about the pillar.
Blanca: No, I told you. I'm not going to talk about that! Where's Daniela?
Sloan: She someplace safe.
Blanca: (crying) You led them to me, after thirty years!
Ray: We'll guarantee your safety, and the safety of your family.
Blanca: That's not possible.
Sloan: I'm sorry, Mrs. Leon. We never meant to endanger you.
Blanca: Then why did you? You know what they are.
Sloan: Yes. And I know that they're multiplying at an incredible rate.
There are thousands of them out there and if we don't stop them here, we may
not be able to stop them at all.
Blanca: (she sighs) What do you want to know?
Sloan: First, I need to take some blood. For a test.
Blanca: You said questions.
Sloan: First the test. Then we can talk.

CUT TO THE BIO LAB, LATER AFTER THE TEST. RAY LEANS AGAINST A COUNTER
LISTENING AS THE SEATED BLANCA BEGINS HER TALE.

Blanca: Lijas, my village, was tiny. Over the mountain was the 'Pueblo
acounto'. The secret village.
Sloan: Did you have any contact with them?
Blanca: Almost never.
Sloan: Almost.
Blanca: Lupe was my friend. When we were little, uh, eleven, twelve years
old, we would sneak over the mountain to watch the village.
Sloan: And that's when you saw the pillar?
Blanca: Yes.
Sloan: Did you ever get close enough to hear them talk about the pillar?
Blanca: Yes. But that last time, the men in the village, they saw us. And
they, they caught us and they took us into a cave. It was so cold.
Ray: What happened in that cave, Mrs. Leon?
Blanca: To me, nothing. I was knocked unconscious. Oh, they thought I was
dead.
Sloan: And Lupe?
Blanca: (crying) I just lay there listening to her scream. I don't know wha
t they do to her, but I still hear her scream in the night. I never saw Lupe
again.
Sloan: And the pillar?
Blanca: (pulling herself together) Yes, yes. It was in the village that
night.
Sloan: At night?
Blanca: They only did the work at night. Uh, always looking towards the
mountains.
Ray: If it was naturally secluded, why work on it only at night?
Sloan: The stars.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE WAREHOUSE. THE COMPUTER SCREENS ARE FILLED WITH SCANS OF THE PILLAR.
ED IS TYPING ON THE KEYBOARD. HE'S WEARING SOME SORT OF SHINY SAGE GREEN
VELVET SHIRT OVER WHAT LOOKS TO BE A BROWN SWEATER. (WHO DRESSES THESE
PEOPLE?) TOM SITS AT THE DESK NEXT TO HIM, STARING AT THE SCREEN.

Ed: Man, I'm just spinning my wheels here. You got any ideas?
Tom: (pointing at the screen) You notice that different patterns repeat.
Similar ones must be related.
Ed: Oh, you mean like uh, different parts of a jigsaw puzzle?
Tom: (softly with a nod) Yeah.
Ed: Let's see what the computer can make of this. I'll put uh, I'll put each
group in its own window.

ED TYPES SOME MORE ON THE KEYBOARD. HE SITS BACK, THEN LOOKS AT TOM, WHO HAS
JUST SIGHED AND LOOKED AROUND THE ROOM.

Ed: This uh, this is gonna take a while. You got any other ideas?

TOM LOOKS AT ED.

Tom: Dinner.

CUT TO TOM AND ED SEATED ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER AT THE END OF THE TABLES
CONTAINING THE COMPUTER EQUIPMENT. THEY ARE EATING WITH CHOPSTICKS OUT OF
CHINESE TAKEOUT BOXES. ED IS LEANING FORWARD, ELBOWS ON THE TABLE. TOM IS
SEATED ON A STOOL, ONE LEG CROSSED OVER THE OTHER, LOOKING RATHER DEBONAIR.
ED LOOKS UP AT TOM.

Ed: So Sloan said you risked, that uh, you risked your life by going home.
Tom: (tilting his head a bit) What else did she say?
Ed: Now, we don't have many secrets. Except about you.

THE CAMERA CLOSES IN ON TOM. (THIS IS A REALLY NICE SHOT. THE LIGHTING IN
THIS SCENE IS JUST WONDERFUL. SIGH. PAUSE THIS IF YOU CAN.) TOM SWALLOWS,
THEN FIXES HIS GAZE ON ED.

Tom: I never intended to come between you and Sloan.
Ed: What are your intentions?
Tom: What do you mean?
Ed: With Sloan. I mean, you know, it's not that uh, she and I are an item.
We're....not. But you know, I can definitely see there's something happening
between you two. And, she's the best friend I have.
Tom: (nodding at his words) She's lucky to have a friend like you.
Ed: Yeah, uh. But is she lucky to have a friend like you?

(OOO! THAT PIERCING GAZE!)

Tom: I would never hurt Sloan.
Ed: (nodding) Yeah, I guess you proved that.
Tom: (pointedly with a small smile) So have you.

ED LOOKS DOWN, THEN POINTS TO TOM'S FOOD CARTON.

Ed: You gonna finish that?
Tom: Ab-solutely not.

TOM SMILES A GIVES A SMALL LAUGH AS ED GREEDILY PICKS UP HIS FOOD CARTON.
TOM PICKS UP HIS COFFEE CUP AND DRINKS. (NOW LADIES, REWIND THIS SCENE AND
WATCH ALL OF TOM'S SHOTS AGAIN! TRUST ME, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID.)

NEXT SCENE

MORNING AT RAY'S HOUSE. MATT SITS AT THE DINING TABLE EATING BREAKFAST. HIS
MOM ENTERS CARRYING A PITCHER. SHE POURS RAY SOME COFFEE.

Matt: (to Grace) May I be excused?

GRACE LOOKS AT RAY.

Ray: Yeah, uh, go ahead son.

MATT LEAVES. GRACE SITS AT THE TABLE AND GIVES RAY A LOOK.

Ray: (getting up from the table and going after him) Uh, Matt, last night,
the way I acted. I didn't mean to scare you.
Matt: I wasn't scared.
Ray: Well, I'm sorry all the same.
Matt: Okay.
Ray: (gesturing up the stairs) Go ahead.

MATT WALKS UP THE STAIRS. RAY LOOKS OVER AT GRACE. CUT TO THE KITCHEN A BIT
LATER AS THEY CLEAN UP BREAKFAST. RAY PAUSES BY THE REFRIGERATOR.

Ray: Look, can you stop that for a second? We need to talk.

GRACE TURNS AWAY FROM THE DISHES AND SITS DOWN AT THE KITCHEN TABLE.

Ray: You remember that woman who called me yesterday?
Grace: Dr. Parker.
Ray: Yeah. She's a bioanthropologist. Real smart.
Grace: So why's a bioanthropologist your headache?
Ray: She's made a discovery. There's no easy way to say this. You're not
gonna believe it anyway.
Grace: Try me.
Ray: She's discovered a new species of man.
Grace: (smiling) What, one isn't enough?
Ray: I'm serious, Grace. Some of them, I don't know, maybe all of them, are
killers. And that makes it my headache.
Grace: Ray, are you sure this is true?
Ray: I've been fighting it since she first told me. I remember when I was
in sixth grade, Mrs. Roberts, taught evolution. Well I guess I should've
been paying closer attention.
Grace: I wish you would've told me this sooner.
Ray: I wish I had too, baby. But you got to understand, from now on we're
gonna have to take extra precautions for you and Matt.
Grace: What're you gonna do?
Ray: Same thing I been doing. Praying that it's not true. Trying to stop
it, if it is.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE WAREHOUSE. ATTWOOD PACES AS TOM AND ED SIT BEFORE THE COMPUTER
SCREENS.

Attwood: (impatiently) Is there anything you can do to accelerate this?
Ed: Come on, there's billions of permutations. I've done everything I can.
Attwood: Come on Ed, we're running out of time.
Ed: Actually, though, uh, we did discover something.

ED PULLS SOMETHING UP ON THE COMPUTER AS ATTWOOD QUICKLY WALKS OVER TO HIM.

Attwood: And what is that?
Ed: Vague power source emanating from inside the pillar.

NEXT SCENE

A UPS-STYLE DELIVERY TRUCK TRAVELS DOWN A BUSY CITY STREET. IT SLOWLY TURNS
A CORNER. WE SEE INSIDE THE BACK OF THE TRUCK THROUGH THE CAB. THERE ARE
TABLES WITH COMPUTERS SET UP INSIDE IT. A MAN SITS BEFORE ONE OF THEM,
EARPHONES ON HIS HEAD.

Driver: Getting any kind of reading?

WE SEE THE SCREEN THE EARPHONE MAN IS LOOKING AT. IT IS A MAP, TRACKING THE
COURSE OF THE TRUCK AS IT TRAVELS DOWN THE STREET.

Earphone Man: Nothing yet.

NEXT SCENE

BACK AT THE WAREHOUSE. SLOAN COMES RUNNING UP TO THE TRIO OF ATTWOOD, ED AND
TOM AT THE COMPUTER.

Sloan: There's something I want to try!

THEY ALL LOOK AT HER.

Ed: Your, uh, lady from downtown?
Sloan: (nodding) Can we see if the patterns of the pillar match any known
celestial map?
Ed: Yeah, uh, let me load a program.

HE DOES SO. THE COMPUTER RESULTS COME UP ON THE SCREEN.

Tom: (wondrously) A celestial map.

TOM TURNS TO LOOK AT SLOAN.

Ed: My God, it is.
Attwood: Ed, check the coordinates.

SLOAN LOOKS AT THE SEATED TOM. THE COORDINATES COME UP ON THE SCREEN IN FROM
OF TOM.

Sloan: Southern Mexico.
Ed: Nineteen degrees north, ninety-seven degrees west. It's a spring night
sky.
Sloan: Seen from what perspective?
Ed: Facing due north.
Sloan: Just like Blanca said, looking toward the mountains. They etched
their night sky onto the pillar.
Ed: Why?
Sloan: Why all the intricate work to camouflage a celestial map?

SLOAN LOOKS DOWN AT TOM.

Sloan: Can you help us out at all with this one?
Tom: Look, I know there's more to it....

HE GETS UP FROM THE TABLE AND ADVANCES ON THE PILLAR.

Tom: ....I just don't know what.

ATTWOOD WALKS TOWARDS HIM.

Attwood: There might be a way to help you remember.

SLOAN QUICKLY JOINS THEM.

Sloan: What're you talking about?
Attwood: I'm talking about getting inside Tom's head and finding out what he
knows.

SLOAN LOOKS AT TOM THEN BACK AT ATTWOOD AS ED JOINS THE TRIO.

Sloan: You mean through hypnosis?
Attwood: No, it's too unreliable.
Sloan: What then?
Attwood: Regression therapy. I can bring him back and he can relive his
experience and we can relive it with him.

TOM LOOKS (REALLY HOT) AT ATTWOOD INTENTLY. (VERY NICE SHOT.) TOM GLANCES
OVER AT SLOAN, LOOKING AT HER POINTEDLY.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE WAREHOUSE. ED PACES IN FRONT OF THE PILLAR. ATTWOOD AND SLOAN WALK
FROM THE COMPUTER TABLES.

Attwood: Once the drug is injected it's only a few minutes before it takes
effect.
Ed: Hey, these drugs have only been marginally tested. The FDA is far from
approving its use.
Sloan: Is that true?

WE SEE TOM (NICE LIGHTING) SITTING, LEANING FORWARD, LOOKING PENSIVE.

Attwood: I can't wait for the FDA. It's dangerous just being near this
pillar.
Sloan: Uh-uh. Uh-uh. I don't like it. It's too risky for Tom.
Attwood: This is not your decision to make, or mine.
Tom: Go ahead.

TOM SITS BACK IN THE CHAIR (OOO, VERY MANLY) AND PULLS UP HIS SLEEVE, OFFERING
HIS ARM. ATTWOOD BENDS DOWN AT TOM'S RIGHT SIDE AS SLOAN WALKS OVER AND
STANDS ON TOM'S LEFT, HAND OVER HER MOUTH, FIDGETING. TOM LOOKS UP AT SLOAN
AS THE PLUNGER ON THE NEEDLE IS PRESSED.
CUT TO TOM SITTING IN THE CHAIR, EYES CLOSED. ATTWOOD IS CROUCHED BEFORE
HIM, SLOAN ON TOM'S LEFT, ED ON HIS RIGHT. EVERYONE IS STARING INTENTLY AT
TOM.

Attwood: How old are you?
Tom: Fifteen.
Attwood: Are you in school?
Tom: No. Working.
Attwood: Where?
Tom: I'm not allowed to tell.
Attwood: Can you remember when you got your tattoo?
Tom: Yes.
Attwood: How old were you?
Tom: Five.
Attwood: Where did it happen?
Tom: In the village.
Attwood: Tell us about the village. What do you see?

TOM FLASHES ON AN IMAGE.

Tom: My mother.
Attwood: Who else is there besides your mother?

ANOTHER IMAGE FLASHES. TOM AS A BOY, ON HIS STOMACH BEFORE THE FIRE.

Tom: There's a man. I don't know him.

TOM FLASHES ON ANOTHER IMAGE, THEN GRIMACES IN PAIN AND THROWS HIMSELF TO THE
FLOOR. WE SEE THE IMAGE OF A MAN WITH A NEEDLE-SHARP STYLUS. THE MAN BENDS
OVER THE YOUNG TOM. THE IMAGE FADES AND WE RETURN TO TOM ON THE FLOOR.

Tom: (shouting in pain) Oh my back! THE TATTOO!

TOM SCREAMS. HE CALMS, THEN SITS UP.

Attwood: What's happening now?
Tom: Going outside.

HE STAND AND THE SCIENTISTS DO THE SAME.

Attwood: Where?
Tom: To the pillar.

ATTWOOD TURNS TOM, LEADING HIM OVER TO THE PILLAR.

Attwood: Here, here. Straight ahead. Now one step to your right.

TOM REACHES THE PILLAR, PLACES HIS HANDS ON IT, FEELING HIS WAY AROUND IT.
HE PAUSES, GRABBING THE STONE.

Attwood: What's under there?
Tom: Ahhhhh. Not supposed to tell.
Attwood: No one will know. Tell us!
Sloan: Walter, stop!
Tom: Awwww, I can't.
Attwood: Don't give up, don't go away!
Sloan: THAT'S ENOUGH!
Attwood: SAY IT!

SUDDENLY THE IMAGES FLASH AT TOM IN DOUBLE SPEED. INTO A CAVE, THE MAN
ADVANCING ON HIM, HIS MOTHER, HOLDING HIM DOWN ON HIS STOMACH IN FRONT OF A
FIRE.

Tom: (bellowing) NO!!

TOM FALLS AWAY FROM THE PILLAR. HE'S SPRAWLED ON THE WAREHOUSE FLOOR. ED,
SLOAN AND ATTWOOD RUSH TOWARD HIM. ED LEANS OVER AND CHECKS HIS CAROTID
ARTERY.

Ed: No pulse.

ED STARTS CPR.

Ed: One....two...you know how to do mouth-to mouth?....Three.....Sloan, do
it after the fifth compression....four....five...breathe.

TOM FLASHES ON AN IMAGE OF HIS MOTHER AND THE FIRE. SLOAN LEANS OVER AND
(VERY GENTLY, FOR SOME REASON) BREATHES INTO TOM'S MOUTH. ED CONTINUES THE
COMPRESSIONS.

Ed: One....two....three....four....five.

TOM FLASHES ON THE MAN AND HIS MOTHER. SLOAN BREATHES INTO HIS MOUTH AGAIN.
ED CONTINUES.

Ed: One....two....three....four....five.

TOM FLASHES ON AN IMAGE OF HIMSELF AS A BOY IN FRONT OF THE FIRE. ED LEANS
BACK AND LOOKS AT TOM. (!! NURSES DAUGHTER MAKING A COMMENT HERE....HE'S
DONE CPR FOR WHAT? TWO MINUTES? AT MOST? SOME DOCTOR! NO WONDER HE WORKS
IN A LAB...) SLOAN LOOKS DOWN AT TOM, TEARS THREATENING TO SPILL FROM HER
EYES. TOM'S IMAGES FLASH AGAIN, THIS TIME REWINDING THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY
USUALLY COME. THE IMAGE PULLS BACK OUT OF THE CAVE AND SUDDENLY TOM IS
COUGHING, GASPING FOR BREATH ON THE WAREHOUSE FLOOR. SLOAN STARTS
LAUGHING/SOBBING IN RELIEF. ED LOOKS AT ATTWOOD. TOM LOOKS UP AT SLOAN.
SHE EXHALES THE BREATH SHE HAS BEEN HOLDING AS SHE SMILES DOWN AT HIM.

NEXT SCENE

THE DELIVERY VAN WITH THE TRACKING EQUIPMENT, STILL DRIVING DOWN BUSY
STREETS. THE MAN IS STILL WATCHING THE COMPUTER SCREEN, EARPHONES ON.

NEXT SCENE

BACK AT THE WAREHOUSE. TOM SITS BEFORE THE PILLAR, STARING FORWARD, PENSIVE.
SLOAN IS SITTING NEXT TO HIM, LOOKING AT HIM.

Sloan: You know, that's twice I've saved your life.
Tom: (grinning at her statement) Did I say anything useful?
Sloan: You were tattooed when you were five, in the village. Your mother
was nearby.
Tom: That's the visions I've been having.
Sloan: You were drawn to one segment of the pillar. Do you know why?

TOM LOOKS AT SLOAN AND SHAKES HIS HEAD SLOWLY. SHE PATS HIS HAND BETWEEN HER
OWN AND GETS UP. SHE STANDS BEFORE THE PILLAR, THE SECTION TOM WAS DRAWN TO.

Sloan: Ed?

ED LOOKS UP FROM THE COMPUTER THAT HE AND ATTWOOD ARE WORKING ON.

Sloan: (pointing) What segment would this be under here?
Ed: Uh, that would be...grid one-one-zero.
Sloan: Could you bring it up on the monitor?
Ed: Sure.

HE STARTS TYPING AWAY. SLOAN WALKS OVER TO THE COMPUTER.

Sloan: Can you magnify that segment to full screen?
Ed: You bet.

HE DOES. SLOAN'S EYES WIDEN. SHE TURNS AND CALLS OVER TO TOM.

Sloan: Take off your shirt!!

TOM LOOKS UP AT HER.

Sloan: Please.

TOM STANDS AND STARTS TO WHIP THAT SWEATER OFF. (WOO-HOO! WE NEED MORE OF
THAT!)

Sloan: (pointing at the screen) These five stars, right here.

SHE STRIDES OVER TO TOM, WHO IS RAISING HIS SWEATER OVER HIS HEAD.

Sloan: They're in the same configuration as the circles in Tom's tattoo.

SHE CIRCLES THE TATTOO WITH HER FINGER. ATTWOOD AND ED COME OVER TO INSPECT
IT. (I'D LIKE TO GET A CLOSER LOOK TOO...HEEHEE)

Ed: What about the uh, four squares? How do they fit into this equation?
Sloan: Let's find out. Scan the tattoo into the computer.

NEXT SCENE

THE DELIVERY VAN CONTINUES ON, STILL SLOWLY DRIVING DOWN BUSY STREETS. WE
SEE THE COMPUTER SCREEN NOW HAS A PULSING RED CIRCLE.

Earphone Man: I've got it! Up here on the left.

NEXT SCENE

AT THE WAREHOUSE. ED IS INPUTTING DATA INTO THE COMPUTER. TOM SITS,
WATCHING HIM. TOM IS, UNFORTUNATELY, FULLY CLOTHED. SLOAN STANDS NEXT TO ED
AS ATTWOOD APPROACHES.

Sloan: See if you can make the circles of the tattoo align with the stars.

WE SEE ED MANIPULATING THE SCAN OF THE TATTOO UNTIL IT ALIGNS WITH THE
CELESTIAL MAP.

Ed: Perfect fit. But, what about those squares.

TOM LOOKS UP.

Attwood: No stars, no planets, no moon. What else could it be?
Ed: You know what I could do, I could run the celestial cycle program.
It'll show the different variations of this exact same night sky. I could
run it back a hundred years then run it forward another hundred.
Sloan: Great.

ED STARTS TYPING. THEY ALL LOOK AT THE SCREEN. A BLIP FLIES THROUGH THE SQUA
RES.

Sloan: Wait a second. Bring it back. Roll it back.

THE PROGRAM IS REVERSED AND WE SEE THE BLIP AGAIN.

Sloan: (pointing) There.

TOM LEANS FORWARD AS ED TYPES ON THE KEYBOARD. A SCREEN IS BROUGHT UP WITH
THE PICTURE OF A COMET.

Ed: Kewley's comet.

TOM LOOKS TOWARDS THE DOORS, AS IF SENSING SOMETHING, THEN TURNS HIS
ATTENTION BACK TO THE COMPUTER.

Attwood: A comet? What significance can that have?
Sloan: I don't think it's the comet itself, Walter. Ed, when does it appear
next?
Ed: October. 1998.
Sloan: That's what's significant. The date.
Attwood: Alright. We know when. But we haven't a clue about what.
Tom: Shhhhhh.

ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND ED TURN TO TOM AS HE STEPS FORWARD.

Tom: They're outside.

SLOAN RUSHES OVER TO TOM.

Sloan: How did they find us?
Ed: (pointing at the pillar) That power source, must be broadcasting a
frequency.

THE WAREHOUSE DOOR BURSTS OPEN.

Tom: Get down!

TOM PUSHES SLOAN AND ED TOWARDS THE PILLAR AS MEN WITH MACHINE GUNS ENTER THE
WAREHOUSE. TOM LEAPS ACROSS THE ROOM AS BULLETS SPRAY THE COMPUTER SCREENS
WHERE HE JUST WAS. GLASS FLIES, SPARKS BOUNCE. ED AND SLOAN RACE TO THE
PILLAR AND USE IT TO SHIELD THEMSELVES FROM THE GUNFIRE. THE MEN CONTINUE TO
SHOOT, KNOCKING THE ENCRUSTED DIRT OFF THE PILLAR, SENDING CHIPS FLYING.
ATTWOOD RACES TO ONE OF THE COMPUTER TABLES AND GRABS A CANVAS BAG OFF IT.
HE THROWS HIMSELF TO THE FLOOR AND OPENS THE BAG.

Attwood: TOM!

ATTWOOD TOSSES A GUN OVER TO TOM, WHO IS STILL LAYING ON THE FLOOR. TOM
CATCHES THE SEMI-AUTOMATIC. THE MEN CONTINUE TO FIRE. NO LONGER PROTECTED
BY THE PILLAR, ED AND SLOAN RACE FROM IT. TOM (VERY SEXILY) ROLLS ALONG THE
FLOOR WITH THE GUN, LEAPS OVER ATTWOOD AND TAKES COVER BEHIND A TABLE. (HE
LOOKS VERY MANLY. YEE-HAW!) BROW FURROWED AND LIPS PRESSED TOGETHER, HE
POPS UP FROM HIS COVER AND STARTS FIRING AT THE MEN IN THE SHADOWS. TOM HITS
ONE OF THEM AND HE GOES DOWN. TOM CONTINUES TO SPRAY THE MEN WITH BULLETS,
COVERING ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND ED'S ESCAPE. TOM SEES THEY ARE CLEAR AND RACES
AFTER THEM, A HAIL OF BULLETS FOLLOWING HIS DEPARTURE. ED AND SLOAN BURST
THROUGH THE WAREHOUSE DOORS AND CROUCH NEXT TO HER CAR, PARKED RIGHT OUTSIDE.

Ed: (to Attwood, who has just run through the doors) Did you get the disk?
Attwood: No.

ATTWOOD PLOPS THE CANVAS BAG ON SLOAN'S HOOD.

Attwood: The gunfire was too heavy. I couldn't get close to the computer.

TOM BACKS OUT OF THE WAREHOUSE, GUN STILL FIRING AT THE MEN INSIDE.

Ed: (looking at the bag) What's in there?
Attwood: Plastique. (something) charged.

SLOAN GRABS ATTWOOD'S ARM.

Sloan: You can't blow it up! We might still be able to salvage something!
Attwood: This is the best thing.
Tom: (shouting over his shoulder as he continues to fire into the warehouse)
LET HIM DO IT!
Ed: WHAT? YOU WANT TO LOSE IT FOREVER?
Tom: (turning again to shout at Ed) IT'S ALREADY GONE!

ATTWOOD RACES OVER TO THE DOOR WITH THE EXPLOSIVES.

Attwood: Besides, we've already got what we need. RUN!!

ATTWOOD TOSSES THE BAG OF EXPLOSIVES INTO THE WAREHOUSE AS ED AND SLOAN
SPRINT AWAY. TOM HOPS/SKIPS AWAY IN MILITARY STANCE AND ATTWOOD RUNS AFTER
HIM. THE MEN INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE CONTINUE TO FIRE. ED AND SLOAN SCAMPER
BEHIND SOME CRATES AT A SAFE DISTANCE ACROSS THE PARKING LOT. TOM LEAPS OVER
THE CRATES TO JOIN THEM (CHECK THAT SWEATER FLYING UP!) AS THE BUILDING
EXPLODES. (AND BOY, YOU THINK SLOAN'S CAR, PARKED RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR
WOULD BE DAMAGED.....) ATTWOOD JOINS THEM BEHIND THE COVER OF THE CRATES AND
PALLETS AS WE HEAR THE BUILDING BURN.

THE END.