{"id":"000000000000000000000000","owner_id":"000000000000000000000000","title":"bugonia 2025","text":"EXT. FIELD. EARLY MORNING\n\nAn apple blossom flower, dappled with sunlight.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nA flower. Just a flower.\n\n\nA honeybee lands on the flower and we watch the process of pollination.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThen, a honeybee. Very fragile, very complicated. The bee gathers pollen and deposits it in another flower's stigma.\n\nThe bee takes flight and travels across the field...\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nIt's like sex. But cleaner. Nobody gets hurt.\n\nUntil it reaches a painted wooden BEEHIVE... where TEDDY GATZ (early 30s, in full apiarist's garb) attends to the colony.\n\nTEDDY\nA third of our food is pollinated this way. Do you understand the scope of that? That's how vital the bees are, Don. And they're dying.\n\nAnother YOUNG MAN in apiarist garb watches. This is Teddy's cousin DON.\n\nDON\nBut why?\n\nTeddy smiles and nods patiently. He's had to re-explain this a few times now.\n\nTEDDY\nIt's like we talked about, cuz. Remember? CCD. It's like a pandemic.\n\nA SERIES OF IMAGES: Inside the hive. The worker bees flee, and the queen is left alone with her young.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThe workers desert the queen until she's all alone with her young. And the colony wastes away...\n\nBACK ON DON.\n\nDON\nBut why do they leave her?\n\nEXT. FIELD - MORNING\n\nTeddy and Don walk towards the house as they are removing their apiarists helmets.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - PORCH. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don place their apiarists' helmets and jumpers on the porch of Teddy's pretty run-down ranch-style house.\n\nTEDDY\nPeople claim it's pesticides. Or habitat loss. Or some people think world governments and their agro - corporate overlords bio-engineered CCD to manipulate food supplies.\n\nDon isn't following this at all. But Teddy smiles knowingly.\n\nTEDDY\nYeah. Exactly. As if a feckless, dying plutocracy could organize a fucking, GoFundMe let alone a global pricing conspiracy.\n\nBut Don's still not getting it.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - LAUNDRY ROOM. DAY\n\nTeddy pulls clean towels from the dryer. We hear his VOICE.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nBut I kept thinking on it. I knew there had to be a larger organizing principle at work. Something that goes way beyond the bees...\n\nINT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don spread bath towels on the floor of Teddy's sparsely furnished living room.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\n... and so I studied. I observed. I searched in the ground, and in the stars. Until I found it.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - BEDROOM. EARLY MORNING\n\nCLOSE ON MICHELLE FULLER (late 30s). Michelle's eyes open right before her alarm goes off.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nIt was there all along. Caging us. Poisoning us. Choking us out.\n\nMichelle gets up. Her bedroom is modern, monied, beautiful, if a little cold. A bit like her.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - BATHROOM. EARLY MORNING\n\nMichelle finishes brushing her teeth and looks at herself in the mirror for a few seconds.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - BEDROOM. EARLY MORNING\n\nMichelle catching up with emails on her phone, while wearing an anti-aging red-light therapy mask on her face.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nAnd we wonder why every civil innovation feeds back to nothing. Why politics have no correlation with the public interest...\n\nEXT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - GARDEN. MORNING\n\nMichelle, in workout clothes, does 'mindful stretching' on a large yoga mat while meditating.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nBecause we are not steering the ship, Don. They are. And now it's up to you and me to stop them.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don sit on bath towels on the floor, stretching.\n\nTEDDY\nThe training's for a reason, Don. It's going to try and dominate us. But we can't let it.\n\nDon looks scared.\n\nDON\nYou mean, she would try to hurt us?\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - GARDEN. MORNING\n\nMichelle does Krav Maga with a TRAINER.\n\nMichelle is strong, confident, intense. She seems to be working off something. Almost like she's fighting herself.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nYes, Don. It's highly dangerous. So we have to prepare our brains...\n\nINT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don do sit-ups and pushups.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\n... and our bodies.\n\nAs Don tries to keep up, Teddy encourages him.\n\nTEDDY\nC'mon, bud - you can crush this - you can do it...\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - GYM. MORNING\n\nMichelle runs on a treadmill while wearing a mask connected to a clear plastic hose that measures her VO2 max levels.\n\nTEDDY\nIt won't play fair. So we have to be better. And don't forget --\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - POOL. MORNING\n\nMichelle dives into the pool, starts swimming.\n\nEXT. WOODS. MORNING\n\nTeddy and Don run in the woods. Don lags behind, breathless. Teddy points up. Don looks up, expecting to see something.\n\nTEDDY\nThey track it remotely. And they'll try to track us too.\n\nDon looks troubled by this thought.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - KITCHEN. EARLY MORNING\n\nMichelle opens a drawer full of labelled metal canisters. She pulls out today's canister. Inside is a ludicrous amount of pills: ashwaganda, vitamins, heme iron, rapamycin, God knows what else. She blends a powdered smoothie made of collagen, aminos, and creatine and washes down handfuls of the pills.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nIt'll weevil into your brain box every chance it gets. Fortify that shit.\n\nDON (V.O.)\nOkay? I mean, I'll try.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - KITCHEN. DAY\n\nTeddy's shitty kitchen. Teddy and Don eat a mush of honey, squeezable yogurt, and Cap'n Crunch stirred together.\n\nTEDDY\nHear that, though? In your voice? How they've fucked your confidence?\n\nDON\nYeah. I'm sorry, cuz .\n\nBut Teddy places a reassuring hand on his cousin's shoulder.\n\nTEDDY\nNo, don't you ever apologize. Ever. None of this is your fault, Donny.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - DRIVEWAY. MORNING\n\nMichelle gets into an electric luxury Car waiting in her driveway.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThey want you to think it's you. That it's you who made this world. But it's always been them, cuz .\n\nEXT. STRIP MALL - PARKING LOT. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don stand near their bicycles. Don eyes the people walking around pushing carts carrying bags of groceries.\n\nDON\nBut how can you tell them apart?\n\nTEDDY\nYou have to know where to look. But there are signs.\n\nDON\nSo what about these people?\n\nTEDDY\nNo, no, they're fine. I mean, not 'fine,' but - hollowed. Like the rest of us. Harmless. Hopeless.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. MORNING\n\nMichelle drives to work.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nAnd that's the way they planned it. To make us the same as the bees.\n\nEXT. AFFLUENT SUBURBS. DAY\n\nMichelle is driving through an affluent suburban neighborhood.\n\nEXT. SUBURBAN STREET. MORNING\n\nMichelle's car travels through a depressing suburban sprawl.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nA dead colony. Broken. Atomized in a trillion directions...\n\nEXT. HIGHWAY. MORNING.\n\nMichelle's car in the background the city skyline.\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH BIOMEDICAL HEADQUARTERS. DAY\n\nMichelle drives up to the front entrance and hands her keys to Tony, a Corporate Valet.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\n... with no way home again.\n\nINT/EXT. AUXOLITH BIOMEDICAL HEADQUARTERS. DAY\n\nMichelle enters the lobby, takes the elevator and walks across the mezzanine.\n\nINT. PHARMACY. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don browse the allergy aisle. Teddy scoops dozens of ANTIHISTAMINE SPRAYS into his basket.\n\nTEDDY\nGrab some of the cream shit too.\n\nDON\nWhat's the cream do?\n\nTEDDY\nSame. Mitigation.\n\nEXT. STRIP MALL. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don walk between the Pharmacy and a Toy Store with their goods.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH - GLASS CONFERENCE ROOM. MORNING\n\nA MAKEUP ARTIST smears a cream foundation on Michelle's face. A VIDEO CREW sets up lights and cameras and sound for taping.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThis is what they've done to us, Donny. This is their plan. And I've proved it.\n\nINT. TOY STORE. DAY\n\nThe costume section of a garish, fluorescent-lit toy store. Teddy grabs two plastic HALLOWEEN MASKS.\n\nDON (V.O.)\nWhat if someone finds out what we're doing?\n\nEXT. STRIP MALL. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don walk between the Toy Store and a Hardware Store with their goods.\n\nINT. HARDWARE STORE. DAY\n\nThe boys load lengths of thick CABLE WIRE into a basket along with metal CLASPS, SCREWS, and HINGES.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThey won't. No one on Earth gives a single fuck about us.\n\nEXT. STRIP MALL - PARKING LOT. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don walk back to their bikes and put all the stuff they bought in their backpacks. They ride off.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don eat frozen taquitos at a table.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd so until the day comes, we clear the psychic cache, ok? No distractions. No gaming. No vape. No whacking it. No screens. Except for research. You promise, Don?\n\nDon nods. But he looks worried. This all sounds very intense.\n\nTEDDY\nI know it's a lot. But I want you with me on this, Don. I need you.\n\nDON\nI don't know, cuz .\n\nTeddy steadies Don's shaking hands. They gaze at each other.\n\nTEDDY\nBut I know. I know you're actually legit, Don. You're smart and brave and no one else sees it but me.\n\nDON\nYou're the smartest guy I know, Teddy. But I don't think I can do it.\n\nTEDDY\nHey? What's wrong?\n\nDON\nI'm scared, Teddy.\n\nTEDDY\nHey, come here, Donny.\n\nTeddy cradles Don in his arms lovingly. He kisses his head.\n\nTEDDY\nI love you, cuzzy.\n\nDON\nI love you too, Teddy.\n\nTEDDY\nYou're my best friend in the world. My only friend. I'm doing this to save you most of all, bud. And I won't let anyone hurt you, okay?\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S BACKYARD. NIGHT\n\nTeddy and Don sit on top of an old, dilapidated picnic table. They've lit a few cheap tiki torches around the table.\n\nTeddy holds up a syringe. Don's eyes widen.\n\nTEDDY\nMedroxyprogesterone acetate.\n\nDON\nUh-huh?\n\nTEDDY\nIt's a progestin-type hormonal med.\n\nDON\nUh-huh?\n\nTEDDY\nChemical castration.\n\nDON\nOkay?\n\nTEDDY\nIn order to hit maximum focus we have to clear our heads of all psychic compulsions.\n\nDON\nYeah. But how does it work exactly?\n\nTEDDY\nHey. Trust me, I've done a shit ton of research on this. The more of that fuck filler we have jamming up our neurons the bigger the advantage it will have over us.\n\nDON\nBut I'm not sure about this.\n\nTEDDY\n(cuts him off)\nIt's important, Don.\n\nDON\nOkay. But I thought maybe I'd like to be with someone. One day.\n\nTeddy nods. Don's pain saddens him.\n\nTEDDY\nBud, I know this is a lot of new shit, but believe me. I've figured it out.\n\nTEDDY (CONT ' D)\nThe part of your brain that distracts you - the part that makes you sad? It's all connected to the biological imperative, these synapses firing off on procreation and seed spread and monogamy and all these, fucking, pain traps - like, it's all neurons, dude, you've got to harness them. Once you kill the urges, like I have, then you'll be your own master. No one can fuck with you. You'll be free.\n\nDon nods. \"Free\" sounds good. Sounds hopeful.\n\nTEDDY\nSo... You ready?\n\nDon nods. Teddy pulls down Don's pants and readies the shot.\n\nTEDDY\nTalk to me. It will distract you.\n\nDON\nOkay.\n\nTEDDY\nSo, you excited to be free? What does free feel like to you, cuzzy ?\n\nDON\nI guess it feels like when we were little. When everyone was still here, before things got bad.\n\nTeddy might jab Don with the shot before he's finished his thought. Don winces.\n\nTEDDY\nI know it's been hard. But we'll get it back again, man. I promise.\n\nDon nods.\n\nDON\nI'm sorry.\n\nTeddy looks at Don. He starts to tear up. Then he laughs.\n\nTEDDY\nHey, see how you got me going?\n\nDON\nI'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me.\n\nTEDDY\nNothing. Crying is good. Emotional release is good. It means you're changing inside. It's beautiful.\n\nIs it? But Teddy is convinced. And there is something almost magical and serene about his conviction.\n\nTEDDY\nAll we've lost, all these years? All of the shit that's been done to us? We're setting that shit right again. And no one can stop us.\n\nTeddy gazes at the STARS with a look of crazed and glorious hope. He's no madman. He's a believer. He wants to be a hero.\n\nTEDDY\nNot even ourselves.\n\nTITLE:\nBUGONIA\n\nINT. AUXOLITH - GLASS CONFERENCE ROOM. DAY\n\nMICHELLE FULLER speaks INTO CAMERA in a glossy PRODUCT SHOT. She is smiling, animated, magnetic. The embodiment of the modern American CEO: A progressive face with a ruthless soul.\n\nMICHELLE\nI believe every company should strive to form a diverse table. If the people on your team are from diverse backgrounds, they will lead you to new and creative solutions to problems rather than just iterating. We need to find the next generation of diverse engineers, diverse biologists, diverse doctors. Because it's not just diverse employees, it's diverse thinking . It's about using our corporate resources to empower people with different skills and, and identities to, to - holy fucking FUCKER ! Every time! What is it?!?\n\nWe see a small FILM crew is set up around Michelle, as well as CHRIS, a diversity training consultant. They look scared.\n\nCHRIS\n'Skills and identities to foster--'\n\nMICHELLE\n'--a new generation of Auxolith talent.' Okay, let's reset.\n(then)\nIt's too many 'diverses' I'm going 'diverse, diverse, diverse' over and over like 'buh-duh, buh-duh, buh-duh,' like a fucking metronome.\n\nCHRIS\nWell. It is diversity training?\n\nMICHELLE\nYeah but it's too many, Chris. Can we please diversify the language?\n\nCHRIS\nNo, sure.\n\nMICHELLE\n(teasing him now)\nMaybe crack a thesaurus? Find some diverse applicants for the word 'diverse?'\n\nCHRIS\nHa, yeah. Sure.\n\nMICHELLE\nYour lack of synonyms is triggering me, Chris. We must topple your adjectival patriarchy.\n\nChris laughs nervously as she takes him down about 20 pegs.\n\nMICHELLE\nOkay, good job all. Let's go again.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S OFFICE. DAY\n\nMichelle's office is tasteful, spare and expensive. An ancient Ethiopian shotel sword hangs on the wall, as well as a framed sign that reads: \"Let's kick impossible's ass.\"\n\nWe also see framed photos of Michelle with centrist U.S. political/media figures like Nancy Pelosi and David Geffen.\n\nVarious magazines on a coffee table like Fortune and Time with Michelle's picture on the cover.\n\nMichelle is getting ready to leave for the day while her assistant COREY runs through her schedule.\n\nCOREY\nOkay, so that's it then. You just have the investor call with Sara and a VC with Wieden+Kennedy at 9 that you can do remote.\n\nMICHELLE\nGreat. Thank you, Corey. Thank you thank you. Now, so, the 5:30 thing?\n\nCorey takes an anxious breath. She's been waiting for this.\n\nCOREY\nUh huh\n\nMICHELLE\n(one dense stream)\nLook. I know you sent the email already. But I need you to let everyone know they are free to leave at 5:30 from now on, starting today, okay, but do it in a way that's - you know? What we talked about. We need to send the message that we have a new culture here now where people should, yes, of course feel free to go home at 5:30 and be with their families. No one's going to be overworked like in the past, no more unpleasant incidents, but of course it's not compulsory, and obviously if people still have work to do they should absolutely stay and continue to work. But it's not strictly enforced - although we do still want to meet quotas, so if we can do it with no pressure, just remembering, you know, we are running a business here, so, let your conscience guide you kind of thing, yeah? Good?\n\nCorey nods and smiles. She knows no one will leave at 5:30.\n\nCOREY\nI'll definitely let them know.\n\nMICHELLE\nGreat. New era! Thank you, Corey.\n\nMichelle exits. Corey breathes a sigh of relief.\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - FRONT ENTRANCE. DAY\n\nMichelle exits the elevator and a CORPORATE VALET is there with the keys to Michelle's Car.\n\nMICHELLE\nThanks Tony. And feel free to leave early. I mean, unless you're busy, but feel free if you can. Your call.\n\nIt very much does not feel like his call. Tony nods.\n\nTONY\nYes, ma'am.\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - FRONT GATE. DAY\n\nMichelle's Car pulls out of the front gate.\n\nEXT. AFFLUENT SUBURBS. DAY\n\nMichelle is driving.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY\n\nLATER. Michelle drives through upscale suburbs. Gated houses.\n\nShe pops a pill bottle and downs a few TABLETS. We sense perhaps a slight grip of dependency.\n\n\"Babylon Sisters\" by Steely Dan plays on the stereo.\n\nMICHELLE\n(absentmindedly singing)\n'Drink kirschwasser from a shell / San Francisco show and tell...'\n\nEXT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - STREET LEVEL. DAY\n\nA large, perfect-but-tacky mansion lies beyond a gated drive. Michelle's car pulls up. She hits the remote. The gate opens.\n\nAs the Car pulls into the drive, TWO CROUCHED FIGURES in concealed clothing emerge from thick greenery near the gate and follow, still crouching, right behind the car.\n\nThe gate closes behind them.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY\n\nWe see Michelle HEAD ON as she pulls into the drive. In the window behind her, we can see the two crouched figures OUT OF FOCUS behind the car, peeling off to the side.\n\nEXT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - FRONT DRIVE. DAY\n\nMichelle gets out of her car and beeps the lock.\n\nAs she rounds the car, Teddy and Don emerge from the other side. They are dressed in thick, sale-rack ski jackets and pants. Halloween masks conceal their faces.\n\nTeddy and Don jump Michelle, clumsily. She drops her keys.\n\nMICHELLE\n(struggling)\nNO - fuck -!\n\nMichelle throws Teddy off of her with surprising strength and gives Don a Krav Maga elbow strike in the throat that sends him to his knees, choking and gasping for breath.\n\nMichelle makes a run for the door but realizes she is without her keys. She runs around the side of the house, through trees and shrubbery as Teddy gains on her.\n\nMICHELLE\n(shouting)\nHELP! HELP ME!\n\nBut no one on her isolated property can hear her.\n\nShe moves toward a window but before she can break through, Teddy catches up and tackles her into a bed of flowers.\n\nTeddy sprays Michelle in the face with an antihistamine can. She panics and covers her eyes. Then she hits Teddy and throws him off of her.\n\nMichelle begins to run to the backyard. But her legs give out from under her. Confused, she falls to the ground, numb. She looks at her thigh and sees a SYRINGE sticking out.\n\nShe reels and loses consciousness.\n\nTeddy stands over her body. Don catches up.\n\nDON\nWhat now, Teddy?\n\nTeddy catches his breath, staring at Michelle. He smiles.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don load an unconscious Michelle into the backseat of the car. Teddy gets in the driver's seat. Don makes a move for the passenger seat, but Teddy waves him off.\n\nTEDDY\nNo, no ! Stay back with her.\n\nDon does as he's told.\n\nTEDDY\nWhat are you doing? Spray, spray!\n\nDon finds two Benadryl spray bottles in their BACKPACK. He sprays them wildly in the air.\n\nTeddy starts the car. 'Babylon Sisters' picks up where it left off: \"... as he watches his bridges burn / From the point of no return...\"\n\nTeddy and Don remove their masks. They put on EMF-protection beanies with copper squares electrical-taped to them.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay, here we go--\n\nTeddy turns off the Dan, takes a breath, and hits the gas.\n\nEXT. MICHELLE'S MANSION - STREET LEVEL. DAY\n\nMichelle's Car pulls out of the open gate.\n\nEXT. RESIDENTIAL STREET. DAY\n\nMichelle's Car drives cautiously through quiet, luent suburbs. The tinted windows ensure no one can really see in.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY.\n\nTeddy nervously eyes the rear-view mirror. Anyone following?\n\nIn the backseat, Don fiddles with the batteries in a pair of electric clippers.\n\nTEDDY\nYou have to hurry Don, you have to--\n\nDON\nI know, I'm sorry.\n\nTEDDY\nIt's like GPS. If her hair's still on they can track us remotely...\n\nDon turns on the clippers. He touches them lightly across Michelle's head, afraid to hurt her.\n\nDON\nIt's not coming off much.\n\nTEDDY\nYou gotta really run it through, harder --\n\nDON\nBut what if I cut her?\n\nTEDDY\nYOU WON'T FUCKING CUT HER!!!\n\nDon runs the clippers more forcefully across Michelle's scalp and her hair comes off in thick streams.\n\nEXT. HIGHWAY. DAY\n\nOn the highway, heading into the rural hinterlands.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY.\n\nTeddy leans forward and looks up at the sky. He sees GREY, ANGRY CLOUDS.\n\nTEDDY\nFucking cloud coverage, can't see shit.\n\nDon finishes with Michelle's head. She's now completely bald.\n\nDON\nWhat about eyebrows?\n\nTEDDY\n(shakes head)\nIt's fine. Eyebrows are ornamental.\n\nSuddenly a cell phone RINGS. Teddy and Don exchange looks.\n\nTEDDY\nCheck her pockets?\n\nDon searches and finds a PHONE in Michelle's jacket. He holds it up. The screen shows a call coming in from \"COREY.\"\n\nDON\nWho's Corey?\n\nTEDDY\nIt's them . Give it to me.\n\nDon hands Teddy the cell phone. Teddy smashes the phone violently against the console. The phone proves resilient. Teddy nearly veers into oncoming traffic.\n\nEXT. HIGHWAY. DAY\n\nTeddy jerks the wheel straight and the car corrects it's course.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY\n\nTEDDY\nFucking, BULLSHIT! Give me the clippers!\n\nDon hands Teddy the heavy clippers. Teddy hammers the phone as hard as he can with the clippers. Eventually it shatters, and we see the inner guts exposed.\n\nHe tosses the clippers and the phone aside. He's sweating and out of breath, his fury subsiding.\n\nTEDDY\nAlright. Good.\n\nDon looks scared of his cousin's rage.\n\nEXT. HIGHWAY. DAY\n\nA cop car nearby flashes its lights in response to Teddy's erratic driving.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY\n\nTeddy looks at the cop car in the mirror.\n\nTEDDY\nFuck.\n\nDON\nWhat do we do?\n\nThe cop car speeds up behind them, looking to pull them over.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay. Here we go.\n\nEXT. HIGHWAY. DAY\n\nTeddy feigns as if he is pulling over to the shoulder after the next exit. Instead, he quickly guns it, zooming onto the exit right before the divider. The cops car swerves after but slams right into the divider and comes to a stop.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY\n\nTeddy is exhilarated as he floors it through side streets.\n\nTEDDY\nTHERE YOU GO, YOU FASCIST FAIL STATE FUCKS!\n\nDON\nAre they okay?\n\nEXT. SMALL TOWN. DAY\n\nThe car wizzes though the street.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY.\n\nTeddy drives fast. Don a little worried.\n\nEXT. INTERSECTION. DAY\n\nMichelle's Car runs a red light at an empty intersection and turns off onto the road leading up to Teddy's secluded house.\n\nEXT. WOODED AREA. TWILIGHT\n\nIn a thicket near Teddy's property, Teddy and Don conceal Michelle's Car with thick brambles and branches.\n\nMichelle lies unconscious in a heap against a tree stump nearby, her wrists and ankles bound with plastic ties.\n\nTeddy and Don make a LEAF PILE and set it ablaze. Teddy tosses Michelle's hair and cell phone on the fire.\n\nThey sit for a moment by the fire as the sun sets.\n\nTEDDY\nMan, I feel good. Don't you?\n\nDON\nI guess so.\n\nTEDDY\nYou were amazing, cuz.\n\nDON\nI was?\n\nTEDDY\nOh yeah. Alpha king shit.\n\nDON\nThanks, cuz .\n\nTEDDY\nI knew you could do it. And sure enough, you fucking crushed it.\n\nDon smiles.\n\nDON\nI got you, Teddy. Always.\n\nTeddy puts his arm around Don. They stare into the fire.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. NIGHT\n\nDarkness has fallen.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. NIGHT\n\nA standard suburban basement. We may see family photos, a foosball table, etc. But also, on one side of the room, a large OBJECT with a sheet draped over it. What's under there?\n\nMichelle lies unconscious on a pallet on the ground. Metal bracelets have been affixed to her wrists and ankles, which are connected by metal wires to thick bolts on the wall, giving her about a five-foot-radius \"freedom\" of movement.\n\nTeddy and Don survey the captive.\n\nTEDDY\nIncredible.\n\nDON\nWhat?\n\nTEDDY\nJust, the detail. Best I've seen.\n\nDon looks at her.\n\nDON\nHow can you tell she's not human?\n\nTEDDY\nThe signs are obvious. They did a hell of a job on it, but the tells are there: Narrow feet. Thin cuticles. Slight overbite. Semi- obtruding ear lobes. High hair density. You won't notice unless you know what to look for.\n\nAll of these \"signs\" are so subtle as to be imperceptible.\n\nDON\nOkay. I think I see it.\n\nTEDDY\nIt's like, if you don't cook steaks a lot, then you won't know when it's cooked medium rare.\n\nTEDDY (CONT ' D)\nBut if you cook steaks all the time, you just know . You don't even have to cut into it, you just know .\n\nDON\nRight. That makes sense.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay. Let's treat it. OMITTED\n\nINT. BASEMENT. NIGHT\n\nTeddy and Don smear a thick white anti-itch cream all over Michelle's face and body.\n\nDON\nWhat is this for? Is she itchy?\n\nTEDDY\nNo, Don. It's not itchy. Its genetic structure is the same as ours. But its nervous system is different. The antihistamine reacts with the neurotransmitters in its nervous system and weakens it.\n\nBACK TO DON.\n\nDON\nOh.\n\nTEDDY\nWe're just leveling the playing field. It's not torture. Torture is what they've done to us .\n\nTeddy and Don step back and admire their handiwork.\n\nMichelle sits unconscious, with thick white cream all over her. She looks like an insane Marcel Marceau.\n\nTeddy checks the time on his phone.\n\nTEDDY\nSedative should wear off soon.\n\nDON\nOkay.\n\nTEDDY\nSo... what do you think? High time we dressed to impress, eh big guy?\n\nINT. TEDDY'S BEDROOM. EVENING\n\nTeddy and Don strip down to their boxers and white tees.\n\nThey put on ill fitted suits. Bargain brand. This is their idea of \"dressed up.\" Like high school kids at a debate tournament.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay. I'm good. How's yours?\n\nWe see Don in his clothes. They are noticeably tight.\n\nDON\nIs it too tight?\n\nTEDDY\n(yes)\nNo, man.\n(then)\nThat was my dad's shit. He left it behind for a reason. I know it. So that one day it could be put to use. Everything's for a reason.\n\nDon looks at himself. He flaps his arms a little like a giant bird and shakes his head.\n\nDON\nIt's too tight. I look stupid.\n\nTEDDY\nYou don't. You look fine. Don, honestly. You look fine.\n\nDON\nNo I don't.\n\nTEDDY\nWhat's that swine gonna do? Call the fashion police and arrest you?\n(smirks)\nIt is not in control anymore. We are. We decide what's elite. We decide what looks baller. And guess what? You look baller.\n\nDon nods.\n\nTEDDY\nBesides, I'll be doing most of the talking anyway, yeah?\n\nTEDDY (CONT ' D)\nIn fact, maybe... don't say much? You don't really have to say much.\n\nDON\nOh. Okay.\n\nTEDDY\nLike, don't talk at all, maybe.\n\nDON\nI won't.\n\nTEDDY\nJust stare it down. Beast mode. No quarter. Don't let it filibuster, don't give it space to speak its 'truth' or its 'trauma' or whatever the fuck. Just stand strong, ok?\n\nDon nods.\n\nDON\nOkay. I'll try.\n\nTEDDY\nWe won't lose our cool. We'll be calm, rational. We'll be smarter. And we'll win with our ideas.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. NIGHT\n\nTIGHT CU on MICHELLE as she comes to. Her eyelids flutter.\n\nTeddy faces Michelle with a clipboard. Don stands hesitantly somewhere behind Teddy.\n\nON MICHELLE. A flash of woozy confusion across her face.\n\nTeddy steps forward with a subtle, professional nod.\n\nTEDDY\nWelcome.\n\nNo response from Michelle. She just looks around in a daze.\n\nTeddy's unsure how to proceed in this half-awake phase.\n\nTEDDY\nAre you - conscious? ... Is she conscious?\n\nA scared Don shrugs.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhu - ?\n\nTEDDY\nI can only proceed if you're fully conscious, so?\n\nMICHELLE\nUnh - what?\n\nTEDDY\n(turns to Don)\nUm. What do you think? Should I-- ?\n\nAgain Don shrugs.\n\nMICHELLE\n-- where - ?\n\nTEDDY\nYes, greetings. This is my home.\n\nMICHELLE\nThis, we're - hospital - ?\n\nTEDDY\nNo, this is not a hospital. Fuck it, I'm just going to start.\n\nTeddy launches into the prepared statement on his clipboard.\n\nTEDDY\n'Welcome to the headquarters of the human resistance. Despite our general suspicion and disavowal of all extant governing bodies -- and despite the fact that you, as an Andromedan, are not subject to the human rights guidelines detailed in the Geneva Conventions -- we nevertheless endeavor to adhere to those guidelines out of respect for the humanist principles to which they aspire.'\n\nMichelle is getting her bearings a bit. She looks around.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhat's happening?\n\nTEDDY\nI'm explaining to you that I would like to keep this all very above board. And, and civilized. So --\n\nA puzzled Michelle rubs her shaved head with shaky hands.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhere's my hair?\n\nTEDDY\nYour hair has been destroyed.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou shaved off my hair?\n\nTEDDY\nYes, we have shaved off your hair.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhy have you shaved off my hair?\n\nTEDDY\nTo prevent you from contacting your ship.\n\nMICHELLE\nMy ship.\n\nTEDDY\nYour ship.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhat ship?\n\nTEDDY\nYour mothership.\n\nMICHELLE closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She can't believe this is happening. But she's getting her bearings back now. And her confident authority too.\n\nTEDDY MICHELLE\nFull disclosure: I've also (calmly) applied a thin layer of Listen to me. Excuse me. antihistamine cream to your skin--\n\nTEDDY MICHELLE\n--which we'll have to reapply (more insistent) every day for full I said listen to me, please. effectiveness.\n\nTEDDY\nI'm listening.\n\nMICHELLE\n(firm)\nNo, you're going to listen to me.\n\nFor the first time, we see Teddy's resolve falter a little.\n\nDon steps back a bit.\n\nMICHELLE\nNow... are you paying attention?\n\nTEDDY\nYes.\n\nMICHELLE\nRight. So here's what's going to happen. And I want to be clear that I'm not threatening you. Okay? The following is just my best guess at how the next 48 hours is likely to transpire. Do you understand?\n\nTeddy nods, a bit awed by MICHELLE's sudden sense of command.\n\nMICHELLE\nSay you understand.\n\nTEDDY\nI understand.\n\nMichelle nods. She doesn't panic. Or hesitate. Or scream. She has encountered plenty of radicals like Teddy in her long and brilliant career. And she knows just how to deal with them.\n\nMICHELLE\nAll right... This is where we're at. The police and soon thereafter the FBI will begin a statewide manhunt using all of the methods at their disposal and the combined resources of neighboring jurisdictions. My company is a key job creator and economic engine for the region. I am crucial . Think of it like - it's as if you've abducted the governor. But worse. That's the level of bureaucratic urgency you're contending with here. In all humility, I can say that. I am also a high profile female corporate executive. Does that add a certain - ya know - politicized optics to this? I would say absolutely. I would say that is a tremendous factor for you to consider here. I don't make these rules. I don't enforce anything. And I am not in charge of the situation in this room. You are. But you are not in charge of what's happening out there . And what's happening out there is a rapid cross coordination of law enforcement and digital media and it's all leading quite inevitably to your imprisonment - and very possibly worse, if I can be frank. I'm not privy to what their methods might be under extreme duress.\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nOr yours, for that matter. But there's no possible scenario where you benefit from this incident unless you cooperate with me right now and negotiate a deal that is fair and advantageous for us both.\n\nCLOSE ON TEDDY who is clearly intimidated by her poise.\n\nBut then... Teddy take a BEAT. And then a DEEP BREATH. And then he exhales, letting it all out.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay. Wow.\n(beat)\nThat was... that was really good.\n\nON MICHELLE, who furrows her brow.\n\nTeddy smiles in disbelief. He takes another deep breath and laughs. A laugh of relief.\n\nTEDDY\nHahahaha. Man. My pulse is racing right now. Fucking... wow.\n\nON MICHELLE. She's scared. But she keeps her wits about her. She reads the room and clocks that DON is not laughing.\n\nTEDDY\nI mean, props where it's due, you got a real human response out of me there, that's impressive. Seriously, like, given your cellular composition? Hats off.\n\nMICHELLE\nIt's the truth.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, no. It's not the truth. Nothing you say is the truth. Objective human truth has no value in Andromedan cognition.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease-- let's just, unpack the problem here--\n\nTEDDY\nOoh, 'unpack.' Heady shit. Sure, let's unpack the old fact bag: You're a high-ranking official in the Andromedan royal court. And you've aided your species in the techno-enslavement and agro- corporate disintegration of the Planet Earth, okay?\n\nTEDDY (CONT ' D)\nAnd we need you to bring us to your mothership on the night of the lunar eclipse to broker a sit-down with your royal superiors. How's that? Fucking, unpacked enough for ya?\n\nMichelle is baffled. But she keeps her cool in a negotiation.\n\nMICHELLE\nOkay. I hear where you're coming from. But I respectfully disagree.\n\nTEDDY\nOn which part?\n\nMICHELLE\nWell? Primarily? I am not an alien.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, you are. I've done thermal imaging on your face, and there's Andromedan code all over your Instagram. You're barely even hiding it. Look at you. I'm supposed to believe you're a 45 year old woman?\n\nMICHELLE\nI follow a strict reverse-aging diet and therapy program. It's very expensive, but I am not an alien.\n\nTEDDY\nThere's no time for this. You are.\n\nMICHELLE\nI am not.\n\nFor a brief moment, we see a flash of rage in Teddy's eyes.\n\nON DON, who has the opposite reaction... a look of doubt.\n\nTeddy takes a deep breath and calms himself. He smiles.\n\nTEDDY\nAll right then.\n\nTeddy takes a small TAPE RECORDER from his pocket and holds it out for Michelle to take.\n\nTEDDY\nWe're going to give you the night to give your statement.\n\nMICHELLE\nMy statement?\n\nTEDDY\nThat you will give to your emperor.\n\nMICHELLE\nUh-huh?\n\nTEDDY\nTo grant us passage to your ship and negotiate your species' withdrawal from Earth.\n\nMichelle reluctantly takes the tape recorder from Teddy.\n\nMICHELLE\nLook, let's - can we have a dialogue here? Because what you're asking me to do is not clear to me.\n\nTEDDY\nYeah. I think it is.\n\nTeddy leans down next to Michelle. She may flinch slightly.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd I want you to know this is difficult for me as well. You killed my family. You killed my coworkers and my community. You killed the bees. So, given that, you should respect how super professional I'm being right now by not gutting you.\n\nThere is loss and pain in his eyes. He means every word .\n\nMichelle stares back at him. She says nothing. Just nods.\n\nTeddy nods back. He's enjoying the feeling of control.\n\nTEDDY\nYour sustenance and waste disposal will be attended to in the morning.\n\nTeddy heads for the stairs.\n\nMICHELLE\nNo, please, I'm sorry can we, let's just, keep the conversation going?\n\nTEDDY\nI haven't gathered adequate data on what kind of sleep you require, if any. But try and get some, okay?\n\nTeddy turns off the overhead lights and heads upstairs.\n\nDon follows after him. But before leaving, Don turns and looks back at Michelle. Only a lamp lights the room. They share a brief glance.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease...\n\nBut Don leaves. Michelle is alone. And she notices, to one side of the room, the OBJECT with the sheet draped over it.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. NIGHT\n\nTeddy and Don emerge from the basement. Teddy closes the basement door and locks it behind him.\n\nHe turns to Don. For a moment they just look at each other.\n\nThen Teddy smiles a relieved smile.\n\nDon smiles too. Teddy laughs. Holy shit, they're really doing it, aren't they? They're really pulling it off.\n\nTeddy pulls Don into a big bear hug.\n\nAs they continue laughing and hugging each other tight they jump and down on the kitchen floor, the conquering heroes. They collapse to the floor, still hugging. Teddy is elated.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. NIGHT\n\nThe house windows lit up. Everything is quiet.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. NIGHT\n\nThe cousins celebrate with taquitos and key lime soda. Teddy is blissed out, buzzing from his victory.\n\nDon turns and sees a small VIDEO MONITOR on the counter that displays a live cam of Michelle in the basement. She's crying. Teddy notices his cousin watching the monitor.\n\nTEDDY\nHey. We can't see it as a woman, you know. It's not a person named Michelle Fuller. It's the Fuller Humanoid. That's all it is.\n\nIt doesn't feel that way. But Don nods.\n\nTEDDY\nHey.\n\nDON\nHuh?\n\nTeddy reaches out and gently touches Don's shoulder.\n\nTEDDY\nEven if it was human - and it's not - it's still evil. Pure corporate evil. I've studied it for years.\n\nDON\nYeah, but still.\n\nTEDDY\nIt's killing the planet, cuzzy. It was the lead executive on the neonicotinoid linked to honeybee death. It only knows cruelty.\n\nDON\nIt is an alien, right?\n\nTEDDY\nYes . And it knows you're watching. It's trying to gain your sympathy. That shitty way you feel right now? That's how it wants you to feel. It's mastered the art of emotional manipulation.\n\nDon glances at the helpless Michelle. Then back to Teddy.\n\nDON\nI'm sorry. I promise I won't mess this up.\n\nTEDDY\nWe just stick to the plan, okay? We have four days until the lunar eclipse, when the Andromedan ship can return undetected. Yeah?\n\nDON\nYeah.\n\nTEDDY\nSo we need the Fuller Humanoid to help us make contact. So that we can fight for our self worth. For our material existence, Don.\n\nDON\nI wish I could fix everything that's happened to you, Teddy.\n\nBut Teddy shakes his head.\n\nTEDDY\nThis is not about me, Don. Okay? Look at me. This is about everyone .\n\nTEDDY (CONT ' D)\nTrust me. One day soon, you'll see. The world will know you as a hero.\n\nDon smiles weakly.\n\nTEDDY\nCome here, booger.\n\nTeddy pulls Don in for a hug. Don holds his cousin tight.\n\nINT. BEDROOM. NIGHT\n\nDon is alone on the mattress in the dark.\n\nHe looks at beautiful images of swirling celestial bodies on his glowing smartphone. A cosmos so distant and wondrous. So far away from this small and squalid life.\n\nHis head is on a pillow, right next to an air vent. From the vent, he can hear, very faintly, the distant sound of Michelle WEEPING softly in the basement.\n\nDon begins to cry as well. He covers his ears, trying to shut the noise out.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. NIGHT\n\nTeddy sits at the kitchen table in the dark, his face lit by the glow of the monitor image of Michelle.\n\nHe turns and looks at a spot somewhere on the dark kitchen floor. And suddenly we are...\n\nINT. KITCHEN. MANY YEARS AGO. DAY B+W\n\n... still in Teddy's kitchen, but it's a mess. Junk all over the counter, dishes piled high. A little portable boombox plays the song \"Good Morning Starshine\" from the musical Hair .\n\nTeddy's mom, SANDY, sits on the linoleum floor with a younger TEDDY sitting next to her. She looks strung out, weary and manic. And her body is covered in needles, like a sea urchin.\n\nHer voice is soothing and maternal, but it's also clearly the voice of a controlling and unhealthy figure, a mad presence. As she speaks, Teddy gently removes the needles from her one by one.\n\nSANDY\nI don't even, fucking, know what's in it, I just eat the poison they give me, but I know they hide shit in there, to program my cells, and my blood, I see what their plan is, ok? They sell me the sickness, then they sell me the cure - and it's money on both ends from the mind control, uh, industry, ok? Get it?\n\nHer body starts to drift and levitate off the ground a bit, like a half-inflated balloon, but he gently stops her.\n\nSANDY\n(then, reconsidering)\nBut I'll do it for you , ya know, if it helps, if it makes me not like me , right, like how I am, ya know, like weak? Your slob cunt mom'll do it for you, baby.\n(lazy, intoxicated laugh)\nJust don't let them get you too.\n\nTeddy takes it all in.\n\nThe cheery sound of \"Good Morning Starshine\" drones on.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. PRESENT DAY. NIGHT\n\nTears nearly begin to form in Teddy's eyes. But he scrunches his face and shuts it out.\n\nEXT. SPACE\n\nThe Earth.\n\nLOWER THIRD TITLE:\n\n3 DAYS BEFORE THE LUNAR ECLIPSE\n\nINT. BASEMENT. EARLY MORNING\n\nTeddy and Don reapply anti-itch cream all over Michelle's face and body.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. EARLY MORNING\n\nTeddy gets on his bike. He puts earbuds in his ears and heads out.\n\nEXT. STREET. EARLY MORNING\n\nWe see the bleak post-industrial heartland that molded Teddy.\n\nTeddy peddles furiously while listening to a fringe podcast.\n\nPODCAST HOST (O.S.)\n-- Fermi's Paradox states that hidden evolutionary barriers cause premature deaths of civilizations before they're ever able to reach the stars. But, okay, if aliens did exist, maybe the reason they have not killed us is because they have some interest in keeping us alive.\n\nPODCAST COHOST (O.S.)\nRight. No, absolutely.\n\nEXT. HIGHWAY. EARLY MORNING\n\nTeddy steers his bike along the highway shoulder.\n\nPODCAST HOST (O.S.)\nThey'd probably treat us like a resource. A material service kinda .\n\nPODCAST COHOST (O.S.)\nYeah, right. Or like, it could be, you strip away the transactional structure, and... Maybe it just feels good to own us?\n\nBehind Teddy, a police cruiser's lights FLASH. A rush of panic from Teddy. Has he been caught?\n\nHe looks inside the cruiser. Then he stops his bike and waits. A terrible tension gripping him.\n\nThe cruiser pulls over to the shoulder. The OFFICER (40s) gets out and approaches Teddy.\n\nOFFICER\nHey.\n\nTEDDY\nHey.\n\nOFFICER\nSaw you there. You all right?\n\nTEDDY\n(shrugs)\nUm? Yeah. Fine. How you?\n\nOFFICER\nI'm okay. Off to work, then, or?\n\nTEDDY\nUh huh?\n\nOFFICER\nOkay. Nice.\n(awkward beat)\nSorry, dude, I know you're like, 'When will this conversation end?' Heh. Anyway. I know we haven't caught up in a while. Since, you know. All the shit, and? Yeah, sorry. I just wanted to check on you.\n\nTEDDY\nCasey, I'm good. What's up?\n\nCASEY\nNuthin, man. I just, I know I wasn't the best babysitter back in the day, but - I do want you to be okay.\n(then)\nYou still up there with, Don?\n\nTEDDY\nYup.\n\nCasey nods. But the circumstances of Teddy's life sadden him. And also, clearly some heavy guilt lurking in there.\n\nCASEY\nCool. Well, um? Anyway, I think about you sometimes-- not in a weird way, just, yeah. I'm grown up now, I'm a different guy. So if you ever need help?\n\nTEDDY\nYeah, yeah. I'm good.\n\nCASEY\nAnd maybe I'll stop by sometime?\n\nTeddy of course doesn't want that. But he forces a nod.\n\nTEDDY\nYeah, I mean, I'm so fucking busy. But yeah, maybe sometime later?\n\nCASEY\nLater. Sure. See ya, Teddy.\n\nTeddy gives another little nod, and peddles off. Casey watches him go with a look of regret.\n\nEXT. PARKING LOT. EARLY MORNING\n\nTeddy pulls into the parking lot of his job at a fulfillment center warehouse of... Auxolith Biomedical.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH FULFILLMENT CENTER. DAY\n\nTeddy enters a huge processing warehouse. It's pretty grim.\n\nThe WORKERS (various ages, genders, and races) look tired and physically taxed. But as Teddy walks the floor in slow motion he puts smiles on faces. He bumps some fists along the way. He seems to care deeply about his coworkers. And their plight.\n\nTeddy approaches an exhausted older woman named TINA (late 60s) who zaps labels with a scan gun as packages race down a track. She's clearly way too old to be working here.\n\nTEDDY\n(playful)\nAw shit. What's up, girl?\n\nTINA\nHiya sweetie.\n\nTeddy gives Tina a big hug. She clearly has affection for him. They scan packages side by side.\n\nTEDDY\nHow we hanging in?\n\nTINA\nEh, fricking hand still killing me.\n\nWe see she has a BANDAGED HAND underneath her plastic glove.\n\nTEDDY\nChrist, Tina. You file that shit with OSHA yet?\n\nTINA\nI looked into it, but I just, I guess... I don't know? I'm sure it's not really a violation?\n\nTeddy looks enraged.\n\nTEDDY\nTheir machinery cut you , and you get punished for missing quotas? How's that not a violation? ... Fucking demons.\n\nTina looks around and lowers her voice. She needs this job.\n\nTINA\nWell, maybe? I don't know. I just don't want to cause trouble.\n\nThey both continue scanning. But Teddy can't let it go.\n\nTEDDY\nDon't you worry, one day soon it's gonna change. I promise you that. They're not going to get away with this shit in the end, okay?\n\nTina smiles and pats Teddy. He can be dramatic but he's got a good heart. He's the only one around here looking out.\n\nINT. BREAK ROOM. DAY\n\nWorkers grab coffee and eat lunch.\n\nTeddy opens a jar of his HOMEMADE HONEY and thoughtfully sets it on the counter for his coworkers to share.\n\nTeddy notices a TV playing on mute in the corner.\n\nSure enough, the NEWS PROGRAM is talking about Michelle. With a picture of her. As well as a photo of her car.\n\nTeddy is transfixed. Then he's SLAPPED on the back. He's startled for a moment, then sees it's his coworker CARLOS.\n\nTEDDY\nOh yo what up, Carlos? Brought in some fresh honey for toast...\n\nCARLOS\nOh cool. Thank you, bro.\n\nTeddy takes one last look at the TV, smiles, and exits.\n\nWe linger behind him and see on the wall a framed photo of Auxolith Biomedical CEO Michelle Fuller... Teddy's boss.\n\nINT. NEWS STUDIO\n\nREPORTER\nOn Monday afternoon, following what coworkers describe as a 'routine workday,' Auxolith Biomedical CEO Michelle Fuller got into her car, passed the security gate at Auxolith HQ in Fayette County, Georgia, and drove towards home. That was nearly 48 hours ago. Nobody has heard from her since.\nAuthorities now believe there is a strong chance that one of the country's most prominent female executives has been the victim of an abduction. A furious statewide manhunt is now underway, with State Police urging Fayette County locals to come forward with any information at all that could shed light on Ms. Fuller's whereabouts. Sources close to Fuller say there was nothing unusual about her behavior in the days preceding her disappearance, and describe her emotional demeanor as \"upbeat\" and \"engaged.\" Given Fuller's wealth and high profile, State Police are not ruling out the possibility that Fuller is being held for ransom, though as of yet there is no evidence to suggest this might be the case. The only clue authorities have to work from now is this photo of the back of Fuller's car that was taken by a speed-trap camera two miles from her house shortly after she went missing. Given the angle and distance, analysts say it is not possible to determine the identity of the driver or any other passengers who might be inside....\n\nEXT. STREET. DAY\n\nTeddy bikes home. Earbuds in for a SELF-HELP PODCAST.\n\nSELF-HELP PODCAST HOST (V.O.)\n--funnel your trauma into new synaptic regions. These memories do not define you. Instead they can plug you into opportunities for creativity and transcendence...\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - BEEHIVES. DAY\n\nCU of HONEYBEES swarming in and out of a hive.\n\nTeddy tends lovingly to his colony. His precious friends.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. DAY.\n\nGV's of Teddy's House.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nDon sits near the live-feed monitor of the basement. He gazes at a FOLD-OUT MAP of outer space pulled out of one of Teddy's magazines.\n\nTeddy enters. Don stands, ready to report.\n\nTEDDY\nHey, cuz. Did she eat?\n\nDON\nNo.\n\nTEDDY\nBedpan?\n\nDon shakes his head.\n\nTEDDY\nUh-huh.\n\nDON\nMaybe she's too scared to go?\n\nTEDDY\nIt's a ploy, Donny. It thinks it can pity-trap our asses. But we're not going to let it. Are we?\n\nDon shakes his head hesitantly.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don enter, once again in their dressed-up clothes. Teddy motions for Don to stand behind him.\n\nDON\n(quietly)\nOkay, Teddy.\n\nON MICHELLE, who clocks Teddy's name.\n\nTeddy approaches Michelle and takes the tape recorder from her. Then he presses play and we hear:\n\nMICHELLE'S VOICE\n(on tape recorder)\n\"Um... I am an alien from outer space. I live here on Planet Earth but I am not a human being. My mothership is coming to Earth and I would like to bring my new friend onto my spaceship with me. Thanks.\"\n\nThe recording ends. That's it. Teddy looks at Michelle.\n\nTEDDY\nUh-huh.\n(beat)\nSo. This is a joke then? You're trying to simulate sapient humor, or- ?\n\nMICHELLE\nLook. It's the best I could do.\n\nTEDDY\nThis is the best you could do? You didn't even say it in your own language.\n\nMICHELLE\n(shrugs)\nSorry. Best I could do.\n\nTEDDY\nNo it isn't.\n\nMICHELLE\nWell, then... Tell me what you would like me to say.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, I already did that. I would like you to request an audience with your emperor. To discuss the terms of your species' withdrawal from our planet.\n\nMICHELLE\nAnd I did that.\n\nTEDDY\nConvincingly.\n\nMICHELLE\nThat is going to be difficult.\n\nTEDDY\nWhy?\n\nMICHELLE\nBecause... at the risk of repeating myself... I am not an alien.\n\nTeddy throws the tape recorder and smashes it on the ground.\n\nDon winces.\n\nTeddy's trying to be diplomatic. But his patience wears thin.\n\nMichelle stays calm, takes a deep breath. She's bringing 25 years of smooth corporate training to bear here.\n\nMICHELLE\nTeddy, I thought all night about our situation here. And I think I know what's going on.\n\nTEDDY\nOh yeah? Please. Enlighten me.\n\nMICHELLE\nLook, I feel qualified here because - so, I'm a chemist by training but I also have a psych degree, and--\n\nTEDDY\nWow. A degree? From a university? From a credentialist scam for laundering privilege? Amazing.\n\nMICHELLE\nWell, I do have a degree. And I've also read a lot about this--\n\nTEDDY\nYou can't talk your way out of this again. I'm not a kid anymore.\n\nMICHELLE\n--And I believe you're in a kind of echo chamber.\n\nTEDDY\nOooh an echo chamber. 'Echo... echo...!' Yeah I read the same 5,000 think pieces about that too.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou're consuming content on the internet that is - you know - reinforcing a, a warped, subjective idea of reality, that's--\n\nTEDDY\nThis is your best shot at me? Some 'rabbit holes' bullshit you read in the Times? Fuck off.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease. Can we have a dialogue?\n\nTEDDY\nDon't call it 'dialogue.' This isn't Death of a Salesman, bitch.\n\nMICHELLE\nBut can we talk? Or are you just--\n\nTEDDY\nWe don't need to talk because I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that I'm in some kind of internet-induced auto- hypnotic feedback loop, and gatekeepers and norms and all that weak hegemonic horseshit. But that is precisely the limp-dick rhetoric you've been instructed to counter the human insurgency with. That's the fucking, hyper-normalized dialectic by which you have convinced seven and a half billion people that they are not your captives. To keep us believing in false institutional, fucking...\n(mispronounces it 'shy-bow- leths')\nShibboleths.\n\nMichelle nods. She's been so evenhanded. So patient. But...\n\nMICHELLE\nYou mean shibboleths?\n\nTEDDY\n(hiding his embarrassment)\nWhatever.\n\nMICHELLE\nOh, sorry. I guess grammar is a false Andromedan construct as well?\n\nTeddy suddenly picks up a chair and throws it across the room. It smashes hard against the wall, denting it.\n\nDon flinches and backs up.\n\nMichelle is scared now. She knows she went too far.\n\nTeddy moves menacingly toward Michelle. She braces.\n\nMICHELLE\nOkay, look - I'm sorry-- you're angry. I understand. I even think you have a right to be angry, but we need to have an honest talk in good faith about--\n\nTEDDY\nYes, let's 'talk' it out. Create a safe space. Safe words. Good faith. 'Dialogue.' We need to talk about this, we need to talk about that. What we talk about when we talk about fucking talk talk talking forever until we're fucking dead.\n\nMICHELLE\nI agree. So just - tell me what you really want here? Money?\n\nTeddy can't believe her sloppiness.\n\nTEDDY\nYour capital has no value to us.\n\nMICHELLE\nSo, what is it then? A power thing? Some... sex thing?\n\nTEDDY\nWe have no interest in you sexually. Irrespective of the fact that your reproductive organs may not be compatible with ours, my cousin and I have also been chemically castrated.\n\nMichelle stares at these two guys.\n\nMICHELLE\nJesus Christ.\n\nTEDDY\nBut I figured you might try to lure us that way. Hence the precaution. See, Don?\n\nDon nods. Michelle clocks Don's name.\n\nMICHELLE\nDon. Teddy. Come on. We have options here, please--\n\nTEDDY\nNo, there are no options. There are no rules. There are no deals. There is no payoff. There's no money. There's no free market. There's no legal system. There's no Congress. There's no America. There's no global democratic order. Okay? So don't talk to me like I'm a dipshit. I am not a dipshit. I'm a guy who knows what the fuck is happening. And you will not defeat me, you sick Andromedan fuck.\n\nMICHELLE\nTeddy, I'm sorry. But you need help. You're - you're mentally ill.\n\nTeddy suddenly slaps Michelle in the face, hard .\n\nMichelle recoils. So does Don.\n\nTeddy just stands there, breathing heavily. Then he tries to compose himself. He hates it when he loses control.\n\nTeddy turns and walks to the door. He faces Michelle again.\n\nTEDDY\nEverybody denies it at first. But then they confess.\n\nDon and Michelle both contemplate this ominous suggestion.\n\nTeddy heads upstairs and Don follows.\n\nEXT. DRIVEWAY. DAY\n\nTeddy storms down the front porch onto the drive. Furious.\n\nHe steps up onto the hood of his mom's dilapidated family station wagon, then up onto the roof. In a fit of displaced rage he violently stomps and jumps on the roof of the car.\n\nAfter much noise and fury, he finally collapses to his knees in an exhausted heap. He might even slink down onto the hood.\n\nDon approaches Teddy cautiously, and touches his cousin. Teddy accepts his love and comfort and they stay there in silence as Teddy calms down.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nI didn't discover them on my own. I stand on the shoulders of giants.\n\nEXT. COSMOS RENDERING\n\nA sort of cheap, stuttery CG rendering of THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY: A vast, spiralling celestial mass.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThe PA-99-N2 microlensing event proved there was an exoplanet. And Gideon55's YouTube studies into Andromedan infiltration paved the way for my own research.\n\nWe swirl through the low-budget CG cosmos until we see an equally amateurish CG SPACESHIP.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nBut I was the one who discovered how to identify them, okay? I created that content.\n\nINT. SPACESHIP RENDERING\n\nWe are inside Teddy's vision of what the interior of the Andromedan mothership might look like. It has the look of PRIMITIVE CGI with flat rendering and chunky pixels.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nOf course I've never been on the ship before. But I know enough to render it in on my laptop. The journey there will be instantaneous. But once we're on board, inside their chemical atmosphere, they may be able to hear our thoughts. So keep your mind clear and decisive during the negotiations...\n\nWe enter the royal chambers where the \"negotiations\" will take place. We pull in closer on the royal throne. Perhaps the image frame-rate might even start to stutter and BUFFER.\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nThey will see that we are men of honor and dignity. And that Earth, with its vast resources and human ingenuity, has much we can offer. So much more than this worthless death spiral into chaos and shit...\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. NIGHT\n\nTeddy and Don sit on the picnic table near the house, looking at the CG render on Teddy's laptop. Then Teddy closes the laptop.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd if they won't listen to reason? Well, I have a plan for that too.\n\nDon gazes at the stars.\n\nDON\nWhat will our lives be like in space?\n\nTeddy looks at Don, a little confused.\n\nTEDDY\nIn space?\n\nDON\nYeah. Aren't we going to live in space ?\n\nTEDDY\nWell - bud, we'll only be gone for a few hours. We're not leaving Earth for good. We're saving it.\n\nDon thinks about this.\n\nDON\nSo we have to stay here?\n\nTeddy looks at Don. What did he think was happening?\n\nTEDDY\nWell - Don? Of course.\n\nAs this sinks in, Don nods.\n\nTEDDY\nBut we're saving it so it will be a good place to live again. So everything will be okay, Don.\n\nDon nods again.\n\nDON\nYeah. I know. Sorry.\n\nTEDDY\nIt's okay, man.\n\nDON\nEver since those shots you gave me, I've felt kind of weird. And crazy. And sad sometimes.\n\nTeddy listens. Those are not ideal side effects. But he nods.\n\nTEDDY\nIt will pass. Don't worry.\n\nThey silently gaze at the stars for a beat.\n\nTEDDY\nI tried to do this diplomatically. Responsibly. With standards this time. I figured it would have a more professional bearing. But, no.\n\nDON\nSo what do we do?\n\nTEDDY\nWe gave it a platform for its lies. That was a mistake. So tomorrow... we begin the next phase.\n\nDon is worried. But Teddy stares at the sky, stoic and firm.\n\nEXT. SPACE\n\nThe Earth.\n\nLOWER THIRD TITLE:\n\n2 DAYS BEFORE THE LUNAR ECLIPSE\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle is alone in the basement.\n\nShe pulls at her chains with all her might. They've been installed expertly, and yet Michelle's in such extraordinary shape that she's on the verge of snapping a brace loose.\n\nThe veins in her temples bulge. She groans. Almost there...\n\nThe LOCK on the door turns. Michelle stops pulling and drops to a sitting position just as Teddy and Don emerge in their dressy clothes. Don carries a SHOTGUN.\n\nMichelle stands to greet her captors. After yesterday, she seems eager to be in their good graces:\n\nMICHELLE\nGood morning.\n\nDON\n(quietly, on instinct)\nMorning.\n\nTEDDY\nYou're out of breath.\n\nMICHELLE\nYes, I'm -- you make me nervous.\n(off his silence)\nUm, so... I've done a lot of pondering. And I think we should start over. I want to help you.\n\nTeddy just stares at her.\n\nMICHELLE\nAnd, given that, there's something I should have said to you earlier that I am finally prepared to say to you now. With conviction.\n(deep breath)\nI am an alien.\n\nStill no reaction from Teddy.\n\nMICHELLE\nI admit it. You've - you've been right all along. I am an alien.\n\nNope. Teddy gives her nothing.\n\nMICHELLE\nI mean, look, you can't blame me for trying to conceal it for as long as I did. Part of my mission here on Earth has been to, you know, blend in and so forth, so?\n\nMichelle is not very convincing. And she knows it.\n\nMICHELLE\nLook, I'm very tired. I know this all sounds not as - you know - forceful or, the, verisimilitude is not where you want it to be, but I assure you I mean what I say and I'd like to move forward now. To a solution.\n(for good measure)\nI'm an alien.\n\nTeddy just stares. Then he walks to Michelle and offers his hand. She hesitates, then takes it. They HOLD HANDS.\n\nTEDDY\nYou want to start over?\n\nMICHELLE\nYes.\n\nTEDDY\nGood. Let's start over.\n\nTeddy pulls a KEY from his pocket, and unlocks her BRACELETS. Michelle hides her excitement. Is this really happening?\n\nDon keeps a shotgun pointed at Michelle.\n\nTeddy moves over to the OBJECT with the sheet covering it. He lifts off the sheet to reveal a CHAIR bolted to the ground.\n\nTEDDY\nHave a seat.\n\nMichelle considers bolting. But Don is there with the shotgun.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease --\n\nTEDDY\nIt's okay. Have a seat.\n\nMichelle sits. Teddy straps her to the chair with METAL WIRE.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhat are you doing?\n\nTEDDY\nStarting over.\n\nTeddy straps her WRISTS to the arm rests.\n\nMICHELLE\nBut-- Why are you strapping me to a chair?\n\nTEDDY\nBecause we can't start over until basic facts are established.\n\nMICHELLE\nLike - what?\n\nTEDDY\nI was hoping we could agree on your genus and avoid a painful test, but you've forced my hand.\n\nTeddy also straps Michelle's head on the leather headpiece, places electrods on Michelle's TEMPLES. She struggles.\n\nMICHELLE\nNo, no - look, I admitted it, ok?\n\nTEDDY\nI'm sorry - I'm a humane person and I don't want to do this--\n\nTeddy places ELECTRODES on her legs. But his heart is heavy. He looks genuinely remorseful for what he's about to do.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease--I'm an alien. I'M AN ALIEN!\n\nTEDDY\nI agree.\n\nTeddy plays \"Good Morning Starshine\" loudly on his mom's little portable boombox.\n\nTeddy finds some ELECTRICAL CABLES. He attaches them to the chair, runs them to the other end of the room, and plugs them into a homemade CIRCUIT BOX linked to some batteries.\n\nMICHELLE\nNo, no! PLEASE! STOP!\n\nON DON.\n\nDON\nAre you sure it works?\n\nTEDDY\n(quietly to himself)\nI'm sorry, Mom. I have to.\n\nHe fiddles with the instruments.\n\nDON\nMaybe we shouldn't do this? She already admitted it.\n\nTEDDY\nShe killed our family, cuzzy.\n\nDON\nYeah, but this feels wrong.\n\nTeddy turns on the circuit box. Lights and meters blink.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay, here's the first wave...\n\nTeddy hesitates for a moment, then turns a KNOB on the box.\n\nWe STAY CLOSE on Teddy's face as we hear Michelle's terrible SCREAM. Teddy flinches at the sound. He's not enjoying this.\n\nDON\nTeddy, please don't.\n\nTEDDY\nTrust me, Don.\n\nDON\nYou'll kill her!\n\nTEDDY\nHumans die at 100 volts --\n\nDON\nNo, Teddy.\n\nTEDDY\nIt can take 200, easy. Second wave.\n\nHe turns the knob again. Another scream, even louder.\n\nDON\nPlease. Please.\n\nTEDDY\nWait... Let me just try and--\n\nHe turns the knob again. Another scream.\n\nDON\nTeddy, stop!\n\nAs we STAY CLOSE on Teddy, his expression changes. His eyes become wide with disbelief. He looks... amazed.\n\nTEDDY\nWhat the fuck - ?\n\nDON\nTHAT'S ENOUGH!\n\nDon dares to lay a hand on Teddy. But Teddy throws him off. Teddy gives the knob one more big jolt. Another scream.\n\nTEDDY\nI don't believe it...\n\nDON\nSTOP IT!\n\nThis time Don pushes Teddy away for real. Teddy nearly falls over. Don yanks the CABLES out of the circuit box.\n\nBut Teddy barely notices. He's stunned.\n\nMichelle's WHIMPERS can barely be heard over the eerily droning sounds of \"Good Morning Starshine.\"\n\nTEDDY\nIt doesn't make sense...\n\nDON\nWhat's wrong with you, man?\n\nTEDDY\n(quietly)\nNo, Don. You don't understand.\n\nDON\nShe could've died!\n\nTEDDY\nIt was off the charts. The output. It's never reached this threshold before...\n\nDON\n'Before'?\n\nON MICHELLE in the chair. Rivulets of sweat have run the white cream everywhere. She looks like a melting clown.\n\nHer hands are still clenched in FISTS, shaking wildly.\n\nTeddy approaches her. But his whole body language towards her is different now. Somehow deferential. Nervous, even.\n\nTEDDY\nI wish to apologize profusely.\n\nMichelle looks up at him woozily.\n\nTEDDY\nI did not realize... Your Majesty.\n\nA trace of confusion passes across Michelle's mess of a face.\n\nTeddy uses a pair of pliers to cut the METAL WIRES attaching Michelle's wrists and ankles to the chair. As he does so:\n\nTEDDY\nI stupidly thought you were admin. I didn't realize, at that voltage? You have the royal genetic code.\n\nON DON, processing this new \"information.\" Is it real?\n\nTeddy helps Michelle back to her chains and pallet. He gently affixes the bracelets to her wrists and ankles.\n\nTEDDY\nWe'll give you a night to recover. Until then--\n(a nod of respect)\nRest well.\n\nTeddy bows slightly and exits with a traumatized Don.\n\nWe are alone with Michelle.\n\nHer clenched FIST is still shaking. Her strength is gone. She is spent, exhausted. But there is a look in her eye, as though something has changed. She stares straight ahead, transfixed.\n\nAnd then we see what she is staring at: THE LITTLE BOOMBOX.\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH HQ. DAY B+W\n\nA perfectly styled Michelle, with a full head of lustrous hair, stands with AIDES and a LAWYER to either side. She appears a bit younger.\n\nWe hear \"Good Morning Starshine\" playing gently somewhere.\n\nMICHELLE\nThe most important thing I want to stress to you right now is that I never want to put this behind us. Never. What happened is a part of all of us now. And it doesn't go away. And it doesn't get swept under the rug. And it doesn't get excused. Not on my watch. This one sticks. Forever.\n(concealing her annoyance)\nI'm sorry, could you maybe turn off the music for a sec?\n\nWe see who she's talking to: A YOUNG MAN with dyed purple hair. It's Teddy . He's looking down, with a hoodie pulled over his head. He can't even make eye contact with Michelle.\n\nAt his side we see a comatose SANDY in a wheelchair. Tubes run from her arm to a drip stand next to her.\n\nHe is holding the little portable boombox. He turns it off.\n\nMICHELLE\nWe -- or, you know, I -- am putting this right up there on the corporate masthead for everyone to see. And for everyone in our company and our industry to learn from. To say, 'There it is. This happened. We did this. And we will always, always grieve this loss.'\n\nAs Michelle speaks, Sandy begins to gently FLOAT and drift up into the air like a balloon. Teddy sees what's happening and tries to hold on to her and pull her back down to earth with the drip tubes.\n\nMICHELLE\nThat is why I'm meeting all of the victims' families this week. To let them know we are going to do better. And look, maybe we don't even try to market a product like this anymore. Maybe we call it a sunk cost and move on. Or maybe we use this experience to grow and to get this formula right. Because I do think, if done correctly, and safely, a product like this could help people like your mom, and--\n\nAs Teddy struggles to stop his mother from floating off into space, he looks at Michelle with pained eyes. Michelle quickly recalibrates:\n\nMICHELLE\nBut, I mean, it's a hard decision. No, it's a hard decision. And we'll have to take our time with it. But, anyway. That's a dialogue for a different day.\n\nThat word: 'Dialogue.' It's like a knife in Teddy's side. He continues to reel in his floating mother with the drip tubes.\n\nThe lawyer makes a subtle gesture to Michelle. She nods.\n\nMICHELLE\nBut right now, we'd like to do what's right and cover the expenses for your mother's treatment. In hopes that her condition might one day... improve.\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nWe simply won't tolerate the idea of you and your family bearing that financial burden. We're covering all of it. This - this one's on us!\n\nMichelle slightly cringes at her tasteless phraseology.\n\nMICHELLE\nAnd, again, we're just so sorry.\n\nTeddy stares at Michelle intensely while holding on to his levitating mother.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. PRESENT DAY. DAY\n\nMichelle stares at the boombox. Somewhere in her imagination, she hears the faint strains of \"Good Morning Starshine.\"\n\nThen she hears Teddy's VOICE from yesterday:\n\nTEDDY (V.O.)\nYou can't talk your way out of this again. I'm not a kid anymore.\n\nShe remembers. She nods. Her mind hums. And when Michelle Fuller's mind hums, great and terrible feats become possible.\n\nEXT. SPACE\n\nThe Earth.\n\nLOWER THIRD TITLE:\n\n1 DAY BEFORE THE LUNAR ECLIPSE\n\nINT. SUPERMARKET. DAY\n\nTeddy prowls the aisles of a shitty supermarket, scanning prices. He finds the most expensive packet of spaghetti. He does the same with a pre-made TOMATO SAUCE. He even finds a coconut BOX CAKE in the freezer aisle.\n\nIn the wine aisle he looks totally lost. He finds a cheap Yellowtail RED WINE and grabs it.\n\nINT. THRIFT STORE. DAY\n\nThere's a wig section. Teddy's staring at the various wigs.\n\nEXT. STREET. DAY\n\nTeddy cycling back with all the stuff in his backpack.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nTeddy and Don set a table for a \"fancy\" meal. They've broken out the \"best\" plates and cutlery, tablecloth, even a candle.\n\nTeddy steps back and examines their handiwork. He reaches in and makes a few little adjustments. It must be perfect .\n\nTEDDY\nWe still hate the Fuller Humanoid. But now we know it expects a certain level of decorum. So that's what we'll give it. To earn its trust, and get what we want.\n\nDon nods.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nTeddy unlocks Michelle, then motions for her to follow him.\n\nMichelle looks suspicious, but she does as she's told. Don keeps watch with the shotgun as they head upstairs.\n\nEXT. BATHROOM. DAY\n\nDon keeps watch outside the door with the shotgun.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nTeddy nails a dining chair to the floor.\n\nINT. BATHROOM. DAY\n\nMichelle enjoys a 'luxurious' shower.\n\nAs she towels off, she sees her CLOTHES have been cleaned and folded for her. And a shirt to replace hers that got ripped. She holds up the shirt. \"S.G.\" in marker on the tag: The same shirt we saw Teddy's mom wearing on the kitchen floor.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nThe candlelit table. Although it's afternoon, the windows have all been blacked out for a proper dinner atmosphere.\n\nMichelle's right ankle is handcuffed to the chair, which is nailed to the floor. Don stands nearby with the shotgun.\n\nWith Michelle sitting there in Teddy's Mom's clothes, it's like a bizarre family dinner tableaux.\n\nTeddy stays in his new affect. He's now in the presence of royalty, and it pays to be in her good graces.\n\nHe dishes up the main course of spaghetti with red sauce.\n\nTEDDY\nHope you like it. My one and only dish.\n\nMICHELLE\nIt looks - very nice. Thank you.\n\nTEDDY\nYou'll have to excuse me, it's-- my best attempt to approximate the royal treatment to which you are accustomed.\n\nMichelle looks around at the shitty food, shitty wine, etc.\n\nMICHELLE\nUh-huh? No, it's - it's great.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd, I want to apologize. For not approaching you with the proper courtesy. Not realizing, of course, what you were. That you shared blood with the Emperor himself.\n\nMichelle is not sure how to react. She simply nods. Best to reap the benefits of this new status Teddy has granted her.\n\nMICHELLE\nThat's perfectly all right.\n\nTEDDY\nTruth is, we'll never make progress here unless we can speak, eyeball to eyeball, as the most evolved examples of our respective species.\n\nMICHELLE\nI agree.\n\nTEDDY\nGood.\n\nMICHELLE\nExcellent.\n\nTEDDY\nWell. On that note. Enjoy.\n\nThey begin to eat in awkward silence. The awful pause in chat seems to linger for an eternity. It becomes so weird that Michelle has to fill the dead air.\n\nMICHELLE\nIt's a, um-- lovely home.\n\nTEDDY\nThank you.\n\nAnother awkward beat of chewing.\n\nMICHELLE\nJust you here?\n\nTEDDY\nYes.\n\nMICHELLE\nMm-hm. Always?\n\nTEDDY\nSorry?\n\nMICHELLE\nHas it always just been you?\n\nTEDDY\nUm, well? I'd prefer we not delve too deeply into the personal, if you don't mind?\n\nMICHELLE\nOh. Sure. That's fine.\n\nTEDDY\nThank you.\n\nMore chewing. Formal and stilted. Michelle grasps for chat.\n\nMICHELLE\nSo. Why don't you-- I'd like to know more about your - movement.\n\nTEDDY\nMy what?\n\nMICHELLE\nYour movement? What you're doing.\n\nTEDDY\nRespectfully, we're not a movement.\n\nMICHELLE\nOh. All right.\n\nTEDDY\nA movement is many people. I did this all on my own.\n\nMICHELLE\nOf course. I see.\n\nTeddy remembers Don somewhere behind him and catches himself.\n\nTEDDY\nWith my colleague of course.\n\nMICHELLE\nWell, it's very impressive. I'm all for people who can do that, ya know, the activism thing.\n\nTEDDY\n99.9% of what's called 'activism' is really personal exhibitionism and brand maintenance in disguise.\n\nMICHELLE\nHuh. Okay.\n\nTEDDY\nI used to be the same way. I ran through the whole digestive tract in five years: Alt-Right, Alt-Lite, Leftist, Marxist, all the stupid badges. I went shopping hungry and bought the whole fucking store.\n\nMichelle nods. So much for not getting into the personal.\n\nTEDDY\nBut I was just looking in the wrong places. Until I discovered you.\n\nMICHELLE\nWell. Again. I'm impressed.\n\nTEDDY\nThank you.\n\nMichelle takes a chance. She turns to Don and smiles.\n\nMICHELLE\nAnd you as well, Don.\n\nDon is unsure if he should reply.\n\nTEDDY\nYou'll have to excuse my colleague. He prefers not to converse.\n\nThey eat silently again. Michelle sees some BEEKEEPER GEAR.\n\nMICHELLE\nI see you're an apiarist.\n\nTEDDY\nOf sorts.\n\nMICHELLE\nI've taken an interest as well.\n\nTEDDY\nMm. So I've heard.\n\nMICHELLE\nMagnificent creatures. Honeybees.\n\nTEDDY\nYes, indeed. Very much so.\n\nMICHELLE\nEarth's most admirable creation.\n\nTeddy looks up. A brief moment of unexpected connection.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, shit. I've literally said those exact words before.\n\nThey lock eyes for a moment. Michelle smiles with respect. Teddy almost reciprocates, then turns back to his plate.\n\nTEDDY\nRight, so? What is it you admire about them?\n\nMICHELLE\nBees? Um, I don't know?\n(thinks)\nComplex society... work ethic. They do their duty and they build their world without complaint. Or piety. Or self-obsession.\n\nTEDDY\nUh-huh. All true.\n(thinks)\nWhich is why they're so easy to exploit, right?\n\nMichelle smiles. Teddy smiles. A gentle jousting.\n\nON DON, watching their conversation grow more tense.\n\nMICHELLE\nI just admire their resolve, that's all. Even in the face of peril.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, we can agree on that.\n\nBack in smooth water again. But Teddy can't help himself:\n\nTEDDY\nWhat sort of peril, by the way?\n\nMICHELLE\nSorry?\n\nTEDDY\nYou said the bees have faced 'peril.' Such as? Go on. It's fine. You can say it.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhat am I supposed to say?\n\nTEDDY\nJust say it.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhy don't you say it.\n\nTEDDY\nColony Collapse Disorder.\n\nMichelle smiles politely. He's one of those loonies too.\n\nMICHELLE\nSure, Teddy. Like CCD .\n\nTEDDY\nYou're a bit of an expert on CCD .\n\nMICHELLE\nWell, I wouldn't say that exactly.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, I would say that. Exactly.\n\nMichelle nods. She sees where he's heading with this.\n\nTEDDY\nIt's all right. We're just talking.\n\nShe could let it go. But her CEO spin instincts kick in.\n\nMICHELLE\nI take it you're referring to the neonicotinoids my company makes.\n\nTEDDY\nHmm. You know what? Let's leave it.\n\nBut she's already in mid-defense .\n\nMICHELLE\nNo, I appreciate your concern. But I think your research is a bit out of date, Teddy. CCD has declined significantly in recent years. The bees are coming back. And there's no consensus that pesticides were ever a real threat to begin with.\n\nTEDDY\nYes, I am well aware of what you've all been telling us.\n\nMichelle smiles patronizingly.\n\nMICHELLE\nI know you want there to be a master plan, Teddy. You want the bees to be dying so it can be my fault and you don't have to think about the real reasons why species die: Immunodeficiencies. Changing habitats. Genetic factors. Or sometimes a species just... winds down.\n\nTeddy nods, trying to fortify the levees against his anger.\n\nTEDDY\n'Winds down.'\n\nMICHELLE\nSure. Maybe something clicks in their heads. And they just know . Or they intuit. The futility of the entire enterprise.\n(beat. shrugs.)\nWho knows, right?\n\nTEDDY\nRight. 'Who knows.'\n\nMICHELLE\nThat's right.\n\nTEDDY\nUh huh.\n\nThey stare each other down. Like gunfighters at sundown.\n\nTEDDY\nWe were having a nice dinner.\n\nMICHELLE\nWe were.\n\nTEDDY\nNice and quiet. Respectful.\n\nMICHELLE\nYes.\n\nTEDDY\nBut now we're not.\n\nMICHELLE\nNo. We're not.\n\nA nervous Don quietly grips his shotgun.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd why do you suppose that is?\n\nMICHELLE\nWell? You tell me.\n\nTEDDY\nBecause you're lying to me.\n\nMICHELLE\nYour usual conclusion.\n\nTEDDY\nYou're murdering the bees.\n\nMICHELLE\nI am not.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd now you're lying again.\n\nMICHELLE\nLies, truth, what's the difference? I can't change your mind.\n\nTEDDY\nYou're right, you can't. Because I know what you are.\n\nMICHELLE\nAnd I know you too, Teddy.\n\nTEDDY\nBullshit you do.\n\nMICHELLE\nI do. And do you know how I know?\n\nTEDDY\nFuck you.\n\nMICHELLE\nSandy Gatz.\n\nStunned silence from Teddy and Don.\n\nTEDDY\nWhat did you say?\n\nMichelle nods.\n\nMICHELLE\nYes. I remember, Teddy.\n\nTeddy says nothing. He's silent. Silent for so long, in fact, that Michelle almost starts to doubt her conclusion.\n\nMICHELLE\nThat - was your mother, right?\n\nTEDDY\nShe is my mother.\n\nMICHELLE\nRight. Of course. I'm sorry.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd you will never say her name again.\n\nMICHELLE\nFair enough. But we need to discuss-\n\nTEDDY\nNo. We do not. Because this is not about that .\n\nMICHELLE\nWith all due respect, how could this not be about that?\n\nTeddy takes a deep breath. Fury rising.\n\nMICHELLE\nTeddy. We believed we were helping.\n\nTEDDY\nDon't you dare.\n\nMICHELLE\nAn opioid withdrawal medication could have helped your mother and millions like her, and--\n\nTEDDY\nStop.\n\nMICHELLE\n--and the clinical trial pay - that was, that was helping her too, it wasn't a king's ransom, but--\n\nTEDDY\nStop right now .\n\nMICHELLE\nObviously we didn't foresee the complications, for Sandy or the others--\n\nTEDDY\nYou do not say her name.\n\nMICHELLE\nWe believed we paid your family a proper reparation but now I see it wasn't nearly enough. Not by half. Not by a fraction .\n\nTEDDY\nSTOP .\n\nMichelle is faltering. She's losing her tough veneer.\n\nMICHELLE\n(becoming emotional)\nLook... You're right to distrust me. I lost myself somewhere, okay?\n\nTEDDY\nFuck you.\n\nMICHELLE\nI became the human being I told myself I'd never become. I'm not denying that anymore. But I can still help you, Teddy. I can still help your mother.\n\nTEDDY\nFUCK . YOU .\n\nMICHELLE\nI can help her, Teddy. Truly I can.\n\nDon drops his guard somewhat.\n\nDON\nYou can?\n\nMICHELLE\nYou needed a mother, Teddy. She was never there for you--\n\nTEDDY\nFUCKING DIE YOU FUCKER!\n\nTeddy LUNGES across the table at Michelle. As he tackles Michelle, her chair tips backwards and the nails bust loose. Teddy and Michelle fall to the ground.\n\nThe handcuffs on Michelle's leg slip free of the chair leg.\n\nTeddy gets on top of Michelle and begins to strangle her.\n\nTEDDY\nI'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!\n\nMichelle panics for a moment. Don has no idea what to do.\n\nDON\nTeddy, no!\n\nMichelle reaches for a fork that fell on the floor and stabs Teddy's shoulder with it. Teddy screams and releases his grip on Michelle's throat. Michelle violently kicks Teddy off of her. He falls back.\n\nMichelle scrambles to her feet and assumes a defensive Krav Maga stance.\n\nDon raises the shotgun with shaky hands.\n\nDON\nStop! Don't move!\n\nTeddy, even more enraged now, runs right at Michelle.\n\nShe evades his tackle and stabs the fork into his back. He screams again, turns, grabs her by his Mom's SWEATER COLLAR, and yanks her violently to the kitchen floor. Michelle drops the fork and falls to her knees.\n\nTeddy crawls behind Michelle and corrals her into a headlock. He squeezes with all his might. Michelle's LEGS flail wildly as she begins to suffocate.\n\nMichelle jabs Teddy's Adam's apple with her fingertips. He chokes and falls backward.\n\nMichelle retrieves the fork and straddles Teddy. He grabs her hand to stop her from stabbing him. Michelle pushes down with the fork teeth as Teddy resists. It inches closer to his eye. She is stronger. And winning.\n\nDon shakily aims the shotgun at Michelle's head.\n\nDON\nGet off him!\n\nBut Michelle ignores Don. She stares right into Teddy's face. The fork is barely an inch from Teddy's EYEBALL.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou can't beat me.\n(clenches teeth)\nBecause you are a loser. And I am a winner.\n(sharp, tight breaths)\nAnd that's... fucking... life .\n\nThen, suddenly, an ELECTRONIC DOORBELL rings. Everyone stops.\n\nTEDDY\nShit.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhat's - ?\n\nDon panics and hits Michelle on the head with the shotgun butt. She staggers to the floor, unconscious.\n\nTeddy scrambles to his feet. He grabs Don.\n\nTEDDY\nDownstairs. Now. Don? Look at me. Do not leave its side. Do not talk to it. Do not let it make a sound. Understand? UNDERSTAND?!?\n\nDON\n(scared)\nYes, Teddy.\n\nDon shoulders the shotgun and drags Michelle away.\n\nThe DOORBELL rings again. Followed by some gentle KNOCKS.\n\nTeddy grabs a coat off a chair and throws it on, covering his wounds. He starts to head to the front door, but then he stops. And waits. Maybe whoever it is will just leave?\n\nThen he hears the hollow sound of KNOCKING on glass. He turns and looks into the LIVING ROOM. Casey has walked over behind some bushes and is standing at the window. He smiles, waves, and makes a gesture to Teddy: 'Can you get the door?'\n\nTeddy smiles, waves back, and gestures: 'Be right there.'\n\nCasey walks back to the front door.\n\nTeddy frantically takes down the blackout curtains and tries in vain to clean up the mess from dinner.\n\nEXT. FRONT DOOR. CONTINUOUS. DAY\n\nCasey waits for Teddy. He looks around at the sorry state of the house's exterior with concern.\n\nThe door opens. Casey smiles sheepishly.\n\nCASEY\nHi. How annoying is this?\n\nTEDDY\nNope, what's up?\n\nCASEY\nNo, I know. It's like, 'Why did I ever tell this dude he could stop by?'\n\nTEDDY\nIt's fine. Casey. What's up?\n\nCASEY\nSorry. I actually do have a real reason to be here though.\n\nTEDDY\nUh-huh?\n\nCASEY\nWell, so, we're all working this missing persons thing, right?\n\nThe slightest twinge of concern from Teddy.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay?\n\nCASEY\nAnd, I actually had a few questions to run by you, actually -- don't worry! But, um-- sorry, could I actually just come in, maybe?\n\nTeddy does a quick calculation in his head. He might have a bigger problem on his hands if he refuses.\n\nTEDDY\nYeah, no. Sure. Come on in.\n\nCASEY\nAh, dude. I appreciate it.\n\nTeddy opens the door and lets Casey inside the house.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nDon aims the shotgun at Michelle from a distance as she wakes.\n\nMICHELLE\nUnh-- Christ--\n\nMichele looks around and sees it's just her and Don.\n\nMICHELLE\n... Where is he?\n\nDon doesn't answer. He won't even look at her.\n\nMICHELLE\nDon?\n\nDon turns his head away so he won't meet her eyes.\n\nMICHELLE\nDon .\n\nHe lightly shakes his head, 'No.'\n\nShe knows it's just the two of them right now. Which is good.\n\nMICHELLE\nDon, listen to me. Put down the gun and listen. I know you'd never hurt me.\n\nDon is still looking away from her.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S LIVING ROOM. DAY\n\nCasey looks around.\n\nCASEY\nWe are not alone.\n\nTEDDY\nHuh?\n\nCasey gestures to the UFO paraphernalia littering the walls.\n\nCASEY\nNothing. Just, 'We are not alone.'\n\nTEDDY\nOh. Right. Well. We're not. Uh, you want some water, or?\n\nCASEY\nYeah, sure.\n\nTeddy walks to the kitchen. Casey fidgets uncomfortably.\n\nCASEY\nMan, I gotta say it's pretty weird being in here again. Lotta feelings.\n\nTEDDY\nUh, yeah. Well, same old shit.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. CONTINUOUS. DAY\n\nTeddy enters the kitchen and sees the MONITOR on the counter is still on, showing Michelle and Don talking downstairs. He very quickly SWITCHES OFF the MONITOR on his way to the sink.\n\nCASEY\nScared the floor's gonna run away?\n\nTEDDY\nWhat?\n\nCasey points to the nails in the floor where the chair was.\n\nTEDDY\n(thinks)\nOh. No. Mom, she, uh-- used to have fits, or whatever, so, we'd nail the chair down.\n\nCasey nods sadly. Say no more. Teddy hands him a water glass.\n\nCASEY\nThank you kindly.\n\nCasey takes a sip of water. And then he spots something.\n\nCASEY\nUh oh.\n\nTEDDY\nWhat?\n\nCASEY\nMy arch nemesis.\n\nCasey eyes the FROZEN BOX CAKE thawing on the counter.\n\nTEDDY\nSo, um? You had some questions, or?\n\nCasey looks like he'd forgotten all about that.\n\nCASEY\nOh, right. Well um, you're still at Auxolith, right?\n\nTEDDY\nYeah.\n\nCASEY\nRight. So you probably know all about the Fuller case?\n\nTEDDY\nYeah. I mean? I heard a little.\n\nCASEY\nOn the news?\n\nTEDDY\nI don't get the news from the news.\n\nCASEY\nOh. Right. Well, I'm just here on a hunch, really. This missing lady's phone pinged a cell tower around here the night of the abduction.\n\nTEDDY\nOh yeah? Well those things have a pretty wide radius though, right?\n\nCASEY\nYeah, no, for sure. It's just that her car was also snapped by a speed trap near the intersection down the road from your hill here?\n\nTeddy plays it cool. He shrugs.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay?\n\nCASEY\nI know. Long shot, right? But it's a sparsely populated area, so, just thought I'd check in with the local residents. See if you, or Don, seen anything peculiar?\n\nTEDDY\nUm,? No, like-- ?\n\nCASEY\nWell, one thing-- You haven't seen this car, have you?\n\nCasey finds a photo of Michelle's Car on his phone.\n\nTEDDY\nNo.\n\nCASEY\nUh-huh? Or this woman?\n\nHe swipes over to a photo of Michelle.\n\nTEDDY\nI mean... she owns my work?\n\nCASEY\nBut you haven't seen her in person?\n\nTEDDY\nDude, I scan packages.\n\nCASEY\nNo, I know. Um. And what about your neighbors? You heard them say anything about any - I don't know - unusual activity?\n\nTEDDY\nI mean? I don't know them, really?\n\nCASEY\nI know. I'm sorry, I'm grasping at straws here, but--\n\nCasey sighs. He puts his phone away.\n\nCASEY\nLook. To be honest? I mainly just wanted to check in with you. I know the last thing you want is your fucked up babysitter from 20 years ago showing up feeling guilty about - whatever went down, but? I sometimes pass by this place and just have this, fucking, sad, awful feeling, like, 'What's going on in there?' Ya know?\n\nINT. BASEMENT. CONTINUOUS. DAY\n\nMichelle continues to work on Don.\n\nMICHELLE\nThank you, Don.\n\nDon says nothing. He just looks away from her.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou could have shot me earlier, upstairs. But you didn't. The way you behaved was... honestly? Heroic.\n\nDon is barely hanging on now.\n\nMICHELLE\nAnd I don't use that word lightly, Don. You've been the only thing stopping him from doing... God knows what to me.\n\nHe finally cracks a bit.\n\nDON\nI don't talk to you. That's how it is. So just keep quiet.\n\nMichelle smiles sympathetically at Don. Now they're talking.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou know this is crazy, though. Right? You know this is wrong? I know you know that, Don.\n\nDON\nShut up.\n\nMICHELLE\nI'm just saying. There's a world, Don. There's a world where we help you and your cousin and your aunt.\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nWhere reparations are paid, the page is turned, all of that happens for you.\n\nDon thinks about this. Then he shakes his head.\n\nDON\nNo that's not true. You're going to have Teddy and me arrested.\n\nMICHELLE\nI wouldn't. No.\n(thinks)\nBut even if you're right and Teddy gets arrested, it's all different for you, Don. If you let me go.\n\nDON\nNo. Shut up. I see what you're doing.\n\nMICHELLE\nAll he does is pull you deeper into the pit, Don. He never actually offers you a way out for you . Well, I can do that. I want to do that for you, Don.\n\nDon slaps Michelle's head very lightly with his hand.\n\nDON\nI said shut up!\n\nBut Michelle isn't fazed in the slightest by the tiny slap.\n\nMICHELLE\nThat's okay, Don. I know you're confused. You're frustrated. No one in the universe could blame you.\n\nCLOSE ON DON, looking away from her.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nTeddy and Casey share some coconut cake and Yellowtail wine by the window. It's started to rain outside.\n\nCASEY\nHe ever show up again?\n\nTeddy shakes his head.\n\nCASEY\nFuckin asshole. Sorry, I know he's your dad and you probably love him.\n\nTEDDY\nI literally wouldn't recognize him.\n\nCASEY\nRight.\n(gulps some wine, then, it's killing him)\nLook, Teddy, man, I know it was a long time ago, what I did to you--\n\nTEDDY\nIt's fine --\n\nCASEY\nNo. It wasn't fine. It was wrong. But I swear, it wasn't cause I liked it, it was just a weird power thing, that's it. I was just young, and lost. I promise you, dude, I never ever did that to anyone else--\n\nTEDDY\nForget it. Seriously. It's done.\n\nCasey nods, troubled. He gulps his wine. Teddy peeks under his jacket. A bloody mess down there. He covers up again.\n\nThey look out the window at the gloomy heartland hillsides dripping with rain. A misty landscape, bruised and broken.\n\nCASEY\n(tearing up)\nThank you.\n\nTeddy nods. But he just wants him out of the house now.\n\nTEDDY\nHey, um, you wanna see my bees?\n\nCasey looks at Teddy. Then he smiles sadly. He pats Teddy, who silently winces from being patted on his wound.\n\nCASEY\nSure, man.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nDon continues to look away from Michelle.\n\nMICHELLE\nSomeone's up there, right? Who's up there?\n\nDON\nShut up.\n\nMICHELLE\nIs it the police?\n\nDON\nI said shut up.\n\nMICHELLE\nIt is. And they're going to arrest your cousin. But it's not too late for you, Don.\n\nDON\nPlease stop.\n\nMICHELLE\nIf you let me go now, everything will work out for you. I promise.\n\nFinally, Don looks at Michelle.\n\nDON\nNo it won't.\n\nMICHELLE\nDon. It will.\n\nDON\nThere's nothing else for me here. Teddy is all I have.\n\nMICHELLE\nWe'll find something for you. You don't need him.\n\nDON\nI do need him. I love him.\n\nMICHELLE\nBut there's so much else out there.\n\nDON\nNo. There's not. Not here.\n\nMICHELLE\nOkay. Then, where? Where do you want to go, Don? You can go there. I'll take you there.\n\nDON\nBut if you are an alien, you would help me?\n\nMICHELLE\n(cuts him off)\nDon, not this again, come on. You know I'm not an alien.\n\nDON\nBut if you are, you would take me with you?\n\nMichelle is confused.\n\nMICHELLE\nWhat - ?\n\nDON\nIf all this is real, and you did have a spaceship, you would take me away from this place?\n\nMichelle just stares at this poor sad soul for a beat. Then she smiles warmly and nods.\n\nMICHELLE\nOf course, Don. Yes. Absolutely. I'll take you with me. We'll leave Earth. I promise that's what will happen, okay?\n(then)\nIf you let me go.\n\nDon looks into her eyes for a long moment. He smiles.\n\nDON\nThanks, but I can't do it without him.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou have to.\n\nDon suddenly looks exhausted.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. DAY\n\nTeddy and Casey walk towards the beehives in apiarist suits.\n\nCASEY\nThanks again for the tipple. Mum's the word, eh?\n\nTEDDY\nSure. Sorry I couldn't help you find that lady.\n(beat)\nBut hey, here's this.\n\nHe hands Casey a self-published book by some guy named Ron Gideon called \"VISIONS OF ANDROMEDA: EXOPLANETARY TRUTH AND THE NASA LIE MACHINE.\"\n\nTEDDY\nThis shit helped me a lot.\n\nCasey nods and smiles politely. Poor fucking kid.\n\nCASEY\nVery cool. Thank you, dude. So, um, let's see these bees.\n\nThey both put on the helmets. Teddy takes the lid off of one of the beehives.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle pleads insistently with a near catatonic Don.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease . We're running out of time. The police will bust in here soon and I can't help you then.\n\nDon can barely keep his eyes open now. He nods.\n\nDON\nOkay. I'm ready to leave now.\n(beat)\nTell him I'm sorry, okay? Tell him I love him.\n\nMichelle nods.\n\nMICHELLE\nI will.\n\nDon smiles, puts the barrel of the shotgun under his chin. There is a blast. Blood and brain matter spray onto Michelle.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - BEEHIVES. DAY\n\nTeddy and Casey both hear the unmistakable sound of a SHOTGUN BLAST coming from the house.\n\nCasey whips his head around.\n\nCASEY\nWhat the hell - ?\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle is in shock. Some blood is splattered on her face.\n\nMICHELLE\nJesus fucking Christ!\n\nDon's dead body lies on the floor, oozing blood.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE - BEEHIVES. DAY\n\nCasey turns to face Teddy again, Teddy swiftly take off Casey's helmet and smashes a HEAVY HIVE TRAY filled with bees and nectar on his face. He falls to the ground.\n\nCASEY\nGah! FUCK!\n\nTeddy kicks over one of the bee hives. Hundreds of angry bees fly everywhere, swarming Casey.\n\nThe bees collect like a second skin to Casey's face and crawl down his throat, choking him.\n\nTeddy grabs a shovel leaning against a big tool box. He walks purposefully over to Casey and beats him to death with the shovel as a cloud of bees swirls around them.\n\nTeddy then drops the shovel and crawls to the toppled bee hive. He tries his best to set it right again, crying.\n\nTEDDY\nI'm so sorry... I'm so fucking sorry, you guys...\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle hears Teddy racing down the stairs and unlocking the basement door.\n\nTEDDY\n(entering the room)\nDon ! Don, you didn't kill it did you?!?\n\nTeddy enters with the shovel and sees Michelle alive.\n\nThen he sees Don's corpse, the shotgun by his side.\n\nTEDDY\nOh, no... Oh Jesus, no...\n\nMICHELLE\nTeddy, listen to me--\n\nTeddy runs to Don's body, trying pathetically to revive him.\n\nTEDDY\n(panicking)\nWhat the hell did you do to him?\n\nMICHELLE\nNothing! He, he did it to himself!\n\nTeddy cradles Don in his arms, weeping.\n\nTEDDY\nOh, God... Don, no no no no --\n\nMICHELLE\nI swear to you he did this to himself - he, he thought the police were coming and - he just freaked out and, and he panicked, and--\n\nTeddy, with tears in his eyes, slowly looks up at Michelle with a terrifying malicious expression.\n\nMICHELLE\nPlease believe me, I - look, I'm chained to the wall, how could I have - ?\n\nTEDDY\nWhat did you say to him?\n\nMICHELLE\n(hesitates)\nNothing, I just--\n\nTEDDY\nWhat fucking filth did you fill his sad brain with you demon from hell?\n\nMICHELLE\nHe was under extreme pressure, Teddy. He just, he cracked --\n\nTEDDY\nAnd you cracked him, didn't you? You poisoned his heart with lies and bullshit until his whole fucking world collapsed, DIDN'T YOU?!?\n\nMICHELLE\nHe did all of this for you , you fucking maniac, because you fed him a FUCKING FAIRY TALE!\n\nFor an awful moment, Teddy considers the grim possibility that what she's saying might be completely true. But he shakes it off, grabs the bat, and walks to Michelle.\n\nMICHELLE\nTeddy, no. No, no, don't kill me!\n\nTEDDY\nI can't kill you yet. But you're going to wish I had.\n\nTeddy lifts shovel above his head, but Michelle screams out:\n\nMICHELLE\nWait, WAIT ! There's a cure for your mom!\n\nTeddy hesitates. Then he lifts shovel again.\n\nMICHELLE\nNo, no! It's true! There's a cure! You can save her!\n\nTeddy hesitates again.\n\nTEDDY\nWhat are you saying? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!?\n\nMichelle's brain races.\n\nMICHELLE\nYour mother, there's - inside of her, a big change is taking place. A total rearranging of her genetic code. Your mom was the first, the first... sample! It's a very important, Andromedan experiment. It takes four to five years. If it succeeds, she'll wake up!\n\nTeddy takes this in, breathing heavily, the shovel still poised above his head.\n\nTEDDY\nAnd what if it doesn't succeed?\n\nMICHELLE\nShe'll die. But if we chemically terminate the experiment, she'll, she'll wake up. She'll wake up!\n\nTEDDY\nHow? How do we do that?\n\nMichelle thinks fast.\n\nMICHELLE\nListen... My car. You have my car?\n\nTEDDY\nYes.\n\nMICHELLE\nIn my car... in the trunk. In the back! There's a bottle, right? It says, it says... it's a yellow jug, okay? And it says, 'mono ethylene glycol.' Antifreeze.\n(then, quickly)\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nBut forget the label, it's not antifreeze. It's the cure. I keep it in the antifreeze jug in my car for, for safety. To hide it.\n\nTeddy fidgets. It sounds... risky. He grips the shovel.\n\nMICHELLE\nNo no no!\n\nTEDDY\nIf - if - if this experiment is so important, why would you allow me to cancel it?\n\nMICHELLE\nThere are multiple experiments happening all around the world. Your mom is one of dozens.\n(beat)\nJust... trust me. You can keep me chained up down here. I'll have no way of escaping. Why would I lie?\n\nTeddy considers all of this. And then he nods and suddenly swings shovel down on Michelle's knee, almost breaking it.\n\nMICHELLE\nFAAUUGH!\n\nTEDDY\nThat's for Don, you fucking virus.\n\nTeddy drops shovel, picks up the shotgun, and runs out.\n\nEXT. WOODED AREA. DAY\n\nTeddy finds Michelle's Car hidden under the brambles.\n\nHe digs through the cluttered trunk, and finds the antifreeze jug behind a bag of golf clubs.\n\nHe stuffs the jug in his backpack and gets on his bike.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle is still chained to the wall with a messed up leg. She is all alone now.\n\nDon's body still lies on the floor, just out of her reach. Michelle gets down on the ground and tries to reach as far as the wall restraints will allow her. But Don's FOOT is still an inch or two from her grasp.\n\nEXT. STREET. DAY\n\nTeddy peddles his bike furiously down the street.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nStraining with all of her might, Michelle barely grasps the end of a SHOELACE on Don's shoe between two fingertips. She carefully pulls Don's shoelace down. It unties. Now she has enough length of lace to fully grasp in her hand.\n\nShe tugs on the lace. Don's bent leg straightens, arcing his foot into Michelle's grasp. Michelle grabs Don's foot and pulls his body towards her.\n\nOnce she's pulled Don close enough, Michelle rifles through his pocket and finds the KEYS to her restraint bracelets.\n\nShe unlocks her wrists and ankles.\n\nEXT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY. DAY\n\nTeddy pulls his bike into the parking lot of a building with a sign marked \"Evergreen Extended Care Community\" and rushes inside.\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY. DAY\n\nTeddy approaches Sandy's room and slips inside.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle, hobbled on one foot, heaves herself against the locked reinforced door that leads upstairs. It's clear she has been heaving for quite some time, painfully.\n\nBut it's no use. She truly is trapped down here.\n\nShe collapses to the ground, out of breath, wincing.\n\nMichelle's finds a couple of elements lying around and manages to make a DYI splint to support her leg.\n\nAs she catches her breath, she turns her head and sees the room from an angle she's never seen before.\n\nShe sees a bookcase against the wall, filled with tomes on political science, ecology, and the paranormal. Behind the bookcase you can just make out the edge of what appears to be a HINGE.\n\nThere's a DOOR behind there...\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY - SANDY'S ROOM. DAY\n\nTeddy has shut the door to his Mom's room.\n\nHe rushes over to her side. He gazes into her comatose, expressionless face. He touches her cheek with his hand.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nMichelle has shoved the bookcase out of the way.\n\nShe pulls on a makeshift handle and a door opens into...\n\nINT. TEDDY'S RESEARCH ROOM. DAY\n\nMichelle enters a long, narrow room packed with all manner of 'medical research': books, files, instruments, and, samples.\n\nMost ominously, Michelle sees on one tall stack of shelves a series of SPECIMENS IN JARS: human hands, eyes, and various organs preserved in histidine tryptophan ketoglutarate.\n\nWhat has he been doing down here?\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY - SANDY'S ROOM. DAY\n\nHe frantically fiddles with her IV drip bag.\n\nHe unscrews the antifreeze jug cap.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S RESEARCH ROOM. DAY\n\nAt the end of the room is Teddy's workstation. There are some traces of what appear to be dried blood in various spots.\n\nOn a SHELF above the workstation are a series of black binders numbered 1 through 10.\n\nMichelle pulls the binder marked '1' off the shelf. She opens it and sees a photo of a man chained to the wall with a shaved head and cream smeared all over his face.\n\nBeyond the photo are pages and pages of NOTES as well as PHOTOS of autopsies and anatomical DRAWINGS.\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY - SANDY'S ROOM. DAY\n\nThe antifreeze feeds into the tube leading to Sandy's arm.\n\nTeddy anxiously waits and watches his mother for any sign of revival, any movement at all.\n\nTEDDY\nC'mon. Wake up.\n\nINT. BEDROOM. YEARS AGO. DAY B+W\n\nSandy is frantically wrapping young Teddy in silver space blankets. Her fingers are needles. Needles may also dangle from her brittle, unkempt hair.\n\nSANDY\nThese'll protect you.\n\nYOUNG TEDDY\nHow - ?\n\nSANDY\nThey won't see you.\n\nYOUNG TEDDY\nI'm scared...\n\nSANDY\nHey. Listen to me, baby. You listenin ?\n\nYOUNG TEDDY\nUh huh?\n\nSANDY\nThese people ain't human.\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY - SANDY'S ROOM. DAY\n\nAfter a long beat, he sees something: a TWITCH in her finger.\n\nDid he imagine it?\n\nTeddy watches his mother's finger. Another twitch. Two fingers, three fingers.\n\nThen an entire hand. Teddy's face lights up.\n\nINT. BEDROOM. YEARS AGO. DAY B+W\n\nTeddy is now fully encased in silver space blankets. Sandy jams the nozzle head of a hand pump into the bundled silver package of Teddy. She starts furiously pumping the foot pump.\n\nSANDY\nYou think you're talkin to a person, but no - no, no - they're just - antenna heads - breaking us down. See I been watchin them-- you hear me?\n\nThe silver blankets inflate around Teddy's body in one piece like a giant mylar balloon.\n\nSANDY\nWe don't have much time. Look to the sky. Look for the signs. It's a lie. Ok? S'not real - but you have to see. You have to . Promise me?\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY - SANDY'S ROOM. DAY\n\nTeddy is full of hope. Desperate hope.\n\nTEDDY\nMom - mom, mom - wake up - it's me!\n\nBut then the twitches turn into convulsions. Uncontrollable tremors pulsating across Sandy's entire body.\n\nTeddy's face turns ashen. He tries in vain to control his mother's convulsions.\n\nINT. BEDROOM. YEARS AGO. DAY B+W\n\nSandy begins to pump the foot pump IN REVERSE and all the air begins to suck out of the silver balloon until the material encases poor Teddy's body in air-tight silver shrink-wrap.\n\nSANDY\nPromise me, Teddy! Promise me!\n\nThe silver material is shrink-wrapped tight over Teddy's face, suffocating his mouth. But he moves his jaw and forms the words as best he can:\n\nTEDDY\nI promise...\n\n(suddenly relieved)\nOh god. Thank you... thank you...\n\nINT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY - SANDY'S ROOM. DAY\n\nWe hear the sustained BEEP of Sandy's heart monitor flat- lining. Teddy grabs her face and hands and watches the life leave her body forever. He cries and kisses her hands.\n\nSome NOISES from the hallway. Panicking, Teddy grabs his bag, opens the window to her room, and climbs out.\n\nEXT. LONG TERM CARE FACILITY. DAY\n\nTeddy runs from the facility, tears in his eyes.\n\nAbout a hundred feet out, he turns and looks back at her room. NURSES have rushed to her side, trying pathetically to figure out what could be wrong with her, what could be killing her.\n\nTeddy watches with a look of bottomless sadness. As we PULL CLOSE, his sadness slowly morphs into blind rage.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S RESEARCH ROOM. DAY\n\nMichelle looks around the room. All of Teddy's research. All of his hope and delusion and pain and anger. His endless, violent, pitiful search for an answer to the unanswerable.\n\nMichelle takes it all in. And she nods. It seems there's only one way out of here. She knows what must be done.\n\nEXT. STREET. DAY\n\nTeddy bikes home with furious tears in his eyes.\n\nEXT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. DAY\n\nTeddy leaps off his bike and runs into the house.\n\nINT. KITCHEN. DAY\n\nTeddy runs into the kitchen and grabs the shotgun he's left leaning on the table.\n\nHe runs downstairs, making wild, savage noises.\n\nINT. BASEMENT. DAY\n\nTeddy enters and sees Michelle standing in the middle of the room. But it is not the same restrained, subdued Michelle he has seen before. No, this Michelle is standing tall and proud, with no chains to contain her. And she is staring at Teddy with a look of supreme, otherworldly authority.\n\nHe raises his shotgun unsteadily.\n\nTEDDY\n(shaking)\nYou fucking monster...\n\nMICHELLE\nHow many were Andromedans ?\n\nTEDDY\nYou lied to me... you..\n\nMichelle puffs her chest and roars.\n\nMICHELLE\nHOW MANY WERE ANDROMEDANS ?\n\nTeddy turns and sees his hidden research room has been discovered. He lifts his shotgun again.\n\nHe breathes heavily, realizing the full horror of his actions has been discovered.\n\nTEDDY\nTwo...\n\nMICHELLE\nTwo.\n\nMichelle takes a step forward, with complete confidence that she will not be shot.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou miserable fucking idiot. Do you know what you've done?\n\nTEDDY\nYou... you killed her...\n\nMICHELLE\nQUIET . Listen to me. And I will tell you why it is that I resemble a human.\n\nTeddy is suddenly awed into silence.\n\nMichelle summons all of her powers of rhetoric and persuasion for this moment. The pitch of her life. The Greatest Story Ever Sold. And all the basement's her stage.\n\nMICHELLE\nOur 75th emperor first discovered the Earth. This planet was ruled by dinosaurs, magnificent creatures with a complex but stable ecosystem. But we inadvertently spread a fatal virus to the planet. Our emperor was struck with guilt, watching Earth's creatures perish. So he gave new life to this planet. Life resembling us . The early test humans could barely stand. But soon they walked...\n\nShe walks slowly toward Teddy. He inches back slowly.\n\nMICHELLE\n...and began to reproduce. A civilization was born in harmony with nature. Atlantis. We were worshipped as gods. But some humans wished to surpass us.\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nThey began to create their own, stronger lab-grown humans. But the new humans were more aggressive. A conflict began that finally ended in a thermonuclear war. In the war's wake, all of humanity was extinguished, save for a select few, who built an ark that traveled the oceans for a century. Finally, when it was safe to resurface on dry land, the leaders of the ark died, and only a few mutant specimens of degraded semi-humans survived: the apes.\n\nShe gestures to DON'S BODY on the ground.\n\nMICHELLE\nEvolution resumed, but towards chaos. The newly evolved human beings -- YOUR current ancestors -- fought amongst themselves in an endless cycle of war, genocide and ecological destruction.\n\nShe steps again toward Teddy and eyes him accusatorially.\n\nMICHELLE\nThey brutalized Earth. Ruined her waters. Ravaged her climate. Poisoned themselves with drugs and technology. And even when presented with irrefutable evidence of their own self-destruction, the humans continued unabated.\n\nTears well in Michelle's eyes.\n\nMICHELLE\nEven I myself became more human - more selfish and cruel - the longer I stayed here amongst your kind. But humans can't help the way they are.\n\nShe points her finger sharply at Teddy.\n\nMICHELLE\nIt's in your genes. The genes your ancestors implanted to strengthen themselves. It gets reproduced in your bodies and grows stronger.\n\nShe holds her hand to heart with sincerity and conviction.\n\nMICHELLE\nWe Andromedans are here to eliminate that suicidal gene.\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nTo save humanity, yes. But also to save Earth from you and your kind.\n\nMichelle stands resolute after her bravura performance.\n\nA confused Teddy points the shotgun at Michelle. He is in disbelief. It can't be true.\n\nTEDDY\nNo. You came here to kill us-- ?\n\nMICHELLE\nWrong, Teddy. Yes, some of us would have preferred to simply terminate your species. But the emperor believed there was still hope. Hence the experiments. The experiments your mother was a part of. She was chosen because she was weak. Because she was broken. If we could correct her , then perhaps all humans could be corrected as well.\n\nTeddy trembles with excitement... and then rage.\n\nTEDDY\nBut you killed her. You killed her!\n\nMICHELLE\nYou killed her. I figured you'd be apprehended feeding antifreeze to a coma patient. And then I'd be freed, so I could return to my work. But you actually got away with it, you sick ape.\n\nTeddy lifts the shotgun again.\n\nTEDDY\nFuck you!\n\nMICHELLE\nListen to me: There are other test subjects. Who are showing progress.\n\nTEDDY\nNo --\n\nMICHELLE\nWe must show the emperor the truth. Tomorrow. During the lunar eclipse.\n\nTeddy is drained. But he sees a ray of hope in her offer.\n\nMICHELLE\nYou may hate me. You may want me dead. And I don't blame you.\n\nMICHELLE (CONT ' D)\nBut I have the information you need to save Earth. And you know I do.\n\nTEDDY\n(wearily)\nFucking... demon...\n\nMICHELLE\nThis is our destiny, Teddy Gatz... yours and mine. And the hour is almost upon us.\n\nTeddy can no longer resist. He sees she is offering the only chance of completing his mission.\n\nHe lowers the shotgun.\n\nEXT. SPACE\n\nThe Earth.\n\nLOWER THIRD TITLE:\n\nTHE NIGHT OF THE LUNAR ECLIPSE\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH BIOMEDICAL HEADQUARTERS - FRONT GATE. DAY\n\nA SECURITY GUARD works the gate booth.\n\nMichelle's Car pulls up. The window rolls down a crack and the guard is stunned to see the driver is... Michelle Fuller.\n\nShe's wearing her dirtied suit, and what appears to be a not very convincing wig affixed to her head.\n\nSECURITY GUARD\nJesus-- Miss... Fuller?\n\nMICHELLE\nHi, Ricky. Yes, I'm back. How are you? Could you buzz me through?\n\nSECURITY GUARD\nBut - so, wait... you're all right? You're, you're - back?\n\nMICHELLE\nEverything's fine, Ricky. It's all sorted out. I'm back. Could you buzz me through, please?\n\nThe security guard, in a daze, buzzes her through.\n\nMICHELLE\nThank you, Ricky.\n\nMichelle drives through the gate.\n\nOnce she passes, the guard reaches for his phone.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S CAR. DAY.\n\nMichelle exhales.\n\nWe see that Teddy is hiding under a blanket in the back seat with the shotgun trained on Michelle.\n\nTEDDY\nPark in your usual spot.\n\nTeddy sits up and peeks into the trunk. We see Don's dead body is sitting back there, his torso wrapped in a blanket.\n\nTEDDY\nDon't worry, Don. You're coming with me. I'm taking you with me.\n\nTeddy smiles sadly but reassuringly at his cousin's corpse.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - FRONT ENTRANCE. DAY\n\nMichelle's Car pulls up.\n\nTony the valet approaches the car, confused.\n\nTeddy gets out first. He's wearing a long overcoat and carrying a pair of crutches. He opens the door for Michelle and hands her the crutches.\n\nMichelle crutches toward the valet and hands him the keys.\n\nMICHELLE\nHi, Tony. Here you go. Have a good night.\n\nThe valet just stares at her, stunned.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS. DAY\n\nTeddy and Michelle enter the building.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - ELEVATOR. DAY\n\nOn the ride up, Teddy grips the SHOTGUN hidden in his overcoat.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - EXECUTIVE FLOOR. DAY\n\nDING! The elevator door opens. Teddy and Michelle get out.\n\nMichelle crutches past stunned COLLEAGUES. One WOMAN screams and covers her mouth. Others just stare in disbelief.\n\nMichelle smiles nervously and nods at them.\n\nMICHELLE\nEverything's good, uh, folks. Good -- good to be back.\n\nShe looks at her watch and smiles.\n\nMICHELLE\nWell, it's 5:35. Don't forget if some of you need to head home, that's uh, you know, fine!\n\nTeddy trails behind Michelle, still concealing the shotgun. When Michelle reaches her office door, she turns to Corey.\n\nMICHELLE\nHi, Corey.\n\nCOREY\nMichelle - ?\n\nMICHELLE\nI have important work to do, so uh, no disturbances, okay? Thanks.\n\nCOREY\nOkay?\n\nMichelle smiles and enters her office with Teddy.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S OFFICE. DAY\n\nMichelle crutches in and Teddy shuts the door behind them. He locks the door and pushes a couch in front of it, then pulls the blinds closed.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay. So he meets us here then, or?\n\nMICHELLE\nNo. We make remote contact with the emperor here, then they beam us up.\n\nTEDDY\nBeam?\n\nMICHELLE\nOr, you know, transport.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay.\n\nMICHELLE\nSometimes it takes a few minutes to get the link up and working, but?\n\nTEDDY\nUh-huh? And... How exactly do we make the link?\n\nMichelle thinks and then crutches toward her desk.\n\nMICHELLE\nLook, it's going to sound crazy.\n\nShe sits at her desk, opens a drawer, and pulls out a calculator.\n\nMICHELLE\nI punch a code in here, and it initiates a link with the ship.\n\nTeddy looks at the calculator, then back at Michelle.\n\nTEDDY\nOn... a calculator?\n\nMICHELLE\n(shrugs)\nI know. It had to look banal. Human. Something totally inconspicuous.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay - ?\n\nMICHELLE\nIt's a 58-digit code. I have it memorized, but, I haven't had to type it out in a while, so?\n\nMichelle begins to carefully type digits into the calculator. Teddy just stares at her, a bit incredulous.\n\nTEDDY\nSo - is this - this is really how it works?\n\nMICHELLE\nIt's easier if we don't talk.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay.\n\nMICHELLE\nSorry, it's just a whole trick I do in my head - like a memory thing, for - remembering.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay.\n\nShe pauses and 'concentrates.' She types a few fragments: '9957075379965' As she slowly types symbols, Teddy fidgets.\n\nMichelle glances at the SHOTEL SWORD on the wall.\n\nTEDDY\nWhy is it so long?\n\nMICHELLE\nJust a few more, just - shh , while I think...\n\nTEDDY\nSorry.\n\nFinally she's stalled herself enough time to think as she can. She stands.\n\nMICHELLE\nOkay, so. Yeah. We should be almost ready here. I just have to press 'Enter,' mainly. Are you ready?\n\nTEDDY\nYes. I'm ready. Fuck, wait-- my air tank, I'll need oxygen...\n\nMICHELLE\nThere will be oxygen, Teddy.\n\nTEDDY\nOkay - and what about Don?\n\nMICHELLE\nWe'll pick up Don. Don't worry. He's coming with. We may - we may even be able to revive him.\n\nTeddy nods. That's good news. But he's very nervous.\n\nTEDDY\nRight. So. It's happening. Shit. No, I'm ready. I'm ready. Um? You should know, I've prepared for all eventualities?\n\nMICHELLE\nUh huh? Prepared how?\n\nTeddy opens his coat. An EXPLOSIVE is strapped to his chest.\n\nMICHELLE\nOh, Teddy, no--\n\nTEDDY\nI can't take the chance that you'll kill me straight away. I can't.\n\nMichelle is very nervous. But she nods understandingly.\n\nMICHELLE\nThat was smart of you, Teddy. The Emperor will admire your intelligence. You are a credit to your species. Truly.\n\nTeddy, in his nervous state, is almost moved by her tribute.\n\nTEDDY\nWell, um. I'm just trying to help.\n\nMICHELLE\nI know, Teddy. I know you are.\n(then)\nNow, that closet there is a teleporter. What's going to happen is you're going to enter that closet and close the door. I'll count to three and press enter. We'll have to go one at a time so that our bodies don't reconstitute together during teleportation. Do you understand?\n\nTEDDY\nUh huh, I think so?\n\nMichelle edges toward the door.\n\nMICHELLE\nHere. I'll go first.\n\nTEDDY\n(waves her away)\nNo, no, no. I don't want you to escape and leave me here. I'll go first.\n\nMICHELLE\n(hesitantly)\nOkay. Fine.\n\nTeddy carefully walks toward the closet, cautiously. Before stepping in, he takes one last look back at Michelle.\n\nMICHELLE\nReady?\n\nTEDDY\nI'm ready. I'll see you up there.\n\nTeddy steps into the closet and closes the door.\n\nAs soon as the closet door closes, Michelle begins to quietly inch towards her office door. Dials in the last digit on the calculator.\n\nMICHELLE\nThree... two... one...\n\nMichelle steps backwards towards the door.\n\nMICHELLE\n(screams)\nHe's got a bo--\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - EXECUTIVE FLOOR. DAY\n\nHer staff have evacuated and various POLICE and SWAT OFFICERS have gathered, preparing for the possibility of breaching the door.\n\nINT. MICHELLE'S OFFICE. DAY\n\nA small but very loud and powerful EXPLOSION. The closet is armored but the door bursts open and we get a glimpse of Teddy being cut in half from the explosion. The metal handle of the door flies away during the explosion and hits Michelle on the head. She drops unconscious to the ground. The cheap wig falls off, revealing her bald head. The CALCULATOR falls and slides across the floor.\n\nThe officers take who had taken cover from the blast swarm toward Michelle on the ground.\n\nHer eyes flutter...\n\nBLACK\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - PARKING LOT. TWILIGHT\n\nA half-eclipsed MOON hangs in the sky.\n\nA crime scene CLEAN-UP CREW works as the SWAT TEAM packs up. Evacuated Auxolith EMPLOYEES mill behind yellow police tape.\n\nMichelle is on a stretcher. Her broken foot is in a brace. She's woozy, barely there, but unharmed by the explosion.\n\nSome Auxolith employees call out to Michelle, wishing her well. A dazed Michelle raises a thumbs-up and calls out to them:\n\nMICHELLE\n(feebly)\nLet's kick... impossible's ass!\n\nHer pet slogan is met with a few halfhearted cheers.\n\nMichelle's stretcher is loaded into the back of an ambulance. An EMT and a DETECTIVE accompany her inside.\n\nINT. AMBULANCE. NIGHT\n\nThe ambulance drives. Michelle fidgets a little and the EMT puts a hand on her.\n\nEMT\nJust try and settle for a bit.\n\nMichelle's still in shock, but starting to get her wits back. The detective smiles at her reassuringly.\n\nDETECTIVE\nYou're going to be fine.\n\nMICHELLE\n(forlorn)\nYes. I know.\n\nDETECTIVE\nI mean, obviously the shock of it all is... but you can get plenty of help for that kind of thing.\n\nMichelle nods. She stares off with a haunted look.\n\nDETECTIVE\nLots of questions of course, and answers, to come, but? We can delve into all of that tomorrow, yeah?\n\nMichelle nods again. But there is something troubling her.\n\nINT. AMBULANCE. NIGHT\n\nThe ambulance pulls to a stop at a red light.\n\nINT. AMBULANCE. NIGHT\n\nMichelle turns to the detective.\n\nMICHELLE\nSo - he's dead then?\n\nThe detective turns to Michelle. He tries to phrase this gently, not knowing exactly where her head is at.\n\nDETECTIVE\nWell-- yes. Yes, he... passed away.\n\nMichelle nods and looks away. She looks genuinely mournful.\n\nDETECTIVE\nMust have reacted to his body heat, or friction. Happens a lot with homemade explosives.\n(sees her sadness)\nLook. I know this sounds cold, but that's how the world is sometimes, and guys like him are... well, they're ultimately just too crazy to be alive. Is how I see it.\n\nMichelle looks at the detective. The detective smiles.\n\nDETECTIVE\nAnyway, we can get into that later, I don't want you feeling like--\n\nA sharp, rattled EXHALE of air from the detective's mouth. The muscles in his face relax and drop as he falls to floor.\n\nMichelle stares in shock.\n\nThe EMT turns and looks at her, puzzled.\n\nSuddenly, another sickening EXHALE from the EMT. Like a pig lung being squeezed out on a butcher's block. He falls dead.\n\nA loud sound of metal and glass. The ambulance has crashed. Michelle is violently shaken still tied on the stretcher.\n\nFrom the driver's seat, we hear the unmistakable sustained HONK of a body landing on a horn.\n\nMichelle frantically pulls herself from the stretcher and bursts out of the ambulance.\n\nEXT. ROAD. NIGHT\n\nMichelle tears her CAST off and clambers from the ambulance.\n\nThe light has turned green. Cars HONK at the ambulance to go.\n\nMichelle tears through traffic across the highway. She is looking around, searching. She looks up and sees what appears to be LIGHTNING flashing dimly in a cloud.\n\nShe continues running until she reaches...\n\nEXT. AUXOLITH BIOMEDICAL HEADQUARTERS. NIGHT\n\nShe makes her way back onto Auxolith property with her security badge. We see there are still police and fire vehicles around but she avoids them and finds her way to:\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - BACK ENTRANCE. NIGHT\n\nThrough a back entrance, Michelle makes her way up a quiet staircase. She uses her card to head up to:\n\nINT. AUXOLITH HEADQUARTERS - EXECUTIVE FLOOR. NIGHT\n\nA number of POLICE and FIRE OFFICERS are dotted around the crime scene area.\n\nMichelle quickly and quietly makes her way to her office.\n\nA YOUNG DETECTIVE is surprised to see her approaching.\n\nYOUNG DETECTIVE MICHELLE\nWhoa, sorry- you're not, uh-- I just forgot something,\nsorry, sorry--\n\nShe hustles over behind her office couch, bends down, and grabs the CALCULATOR she dropped. The digits she punched in are still on the SCREEN.\n\nShe starts to head toward the closet with the calculator.\n\nYOUNG DETECTIVE MICHELLE\nHey, hey, no, can't go in Sorry, just one sec, one sec-- there--\n\nThe detective tries to stop her from heading in but Michelle throws his arm off of her. She quickly darts into her office, where FIRE OFFICERS are cleaning up, startled to see her.\n\nYOUNG DETECTIVE\nHEY! HEY!\n\nA few other try to corral her but she makes a beeline for the bloodied closet, enters, press a button on the calculator, twists and folds inward into the closet wall and...\n\nINT. ROOM. NIGHT\n\n... writhes on the floor of a gelatinous room. Two MEN enter with a translucent sheet and cover her shaking body.\n\nMichelle coughs and wretches violently as if readjusting to a new atmosphere.\n\nINT. IMPERIAL THRONE ROOM. DAY\n\nSome time has passed. Perhaps a day.\n\nMichelle has gathered with the ANDROMEDAN ROYAL COURT and various AIDES in a throne room. We might glimpse the vastness of space somewhere behind them.\n\nA ROYAL AIDE speaks to Michelle in a strange SUBTITLED dialect, like no human voice you've ever heard.\n\nROYAL AIDE\n(subtitled)\nEmperor. We believed contact would be made if help was required.\n\nMICHELLE/EMPEROR\nWe could not contact you without hair.\n\nROYAL AIDE\n(subtitled)\nYes, we know. We feel remorse.\n\nMICHELLE/EMPEROR\n(subtitled)\nWe all feel remorse.\n\nThey are in agreement.\n\nMICHELLE/EMPEROR\nInform us of the experiments on the human subjects.\n\nHer aides look at her with downcast faces.\n\nROYAL AIDE\nThe experiments have nearly all failed. There are only two human subjects remaining. It would take some time to finish this work, and there is no likelihood of success. Because of who they are.\n\nMichelle nods and looks away.\n\nROYAL AIDE\nA decision needs to be made.\n\nMichelle gazes out the window at the cosmos. Somewhere out there is Earth. And its seven and a half billion humans.\n\nShe takes a breath..\n\nMICHELLE/EMPEROR\nWe believe it is over.\n\nHer aides acknowledge the truth wordlessly.\n\nMICHELLE/EMPEROR\nWe believe they have had time. And in their time they have imperiled the life they share. And so we have decided their time will end.\n\nA difficult decision.\n\nOne by one, the AIDES leave. Michelle, the Fuller Humanoid, the great and wise Andromedan Emperor, is alone. She must pay for the mistakes of ancestors.\n\nA CUBE appears before her. The Emperor stares at the cube.\n\nThe Emperor slowly lifts her hand and opens the box to reveal a SQUARE. The Emperor reaches out her finger, hesitantly, and touches the square.\n\nA SERIES OF SHOTS ON EARTH:\n\nEXT. STREET. DAY\n\nA street full of PEOPLE lie dead on the ground.\n\nINT. BRITISH SCHOOL CLASSROOM. DAY\n\nA British school classroom full of CHILDREN, all dead.\n\nINT. KOREAN SCHOOL CLASSROOM. DAY\n\nA Korean school classroom full of CHILDREN, all dead.\n\nINT. AIRPORT. DAY\n\nA long moving walkway at an airport piling up at the end with DEAD BODIES .\n\nEXT. ACROPOLIS OF ATHENS. DAY\n\nCONSTRUCTION WORKERS dead at the Acropolis in Athens.\n\nINT. CATHEDRAL. DAY\n\nA small Russian wedding in a cathedral, EVERYBODY dead.\n\nINT. NIGHTCLUB. NIGHT\n\nA techno party with a loud bass note repeating itself and slow strobe lights flickering. EVERYBODY is dead. A smoke machine blows some smoke into nothingness\n\nINT. SMITHFIELD MEAT MARKET. DAY\n\nSmithfield meat market. Dead humans amidst hanging meat.\n\nINT. MUSEUM. DAY\n\nAn entire FAMILY lays dead with melting ice cream in the kids' hands during a day out at a Museum.\n\nINT/EXT. BUILDING SITE. DAY\n\nBUSINESS MEN in ties and suits lay dead in the middle of opening a new building site.\n\nEXT. AMAZON RAINFOREST. DAY\n\nAn INDIGENOUS MAN dead on the Amazon.\n\nEXT. LANDFILL IN INDIA. DAY\n\nCHILDREN collecting rubbish from a landfill in India lay dead on a rubbish pile.\n\nINT. HOTEL GRANDE BRETAGNE, ATHENS. DAY\n\nA RICH MAN dead in the bath of the Royal Suite in the Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens.\n\nINT. AA MEETING ROOM. DAY\n\nA circle of ALCOHOLICS dead in their chairs at an AA meeting.\n\nINT. TOY FACTORY, CHINA. DAY\n\nChinese FACTORY WORKERS in matching uniforms amongst huge piles of stuffed toys lay dead mid-work.\n\nEXT. CEMETERY. DAY\n\nA YOUNG WOMAN lays dead with a bouquet of flowers in her hand next to a gravestone.\n\nINT. BEDROOM. DAY\n\nTWO TEENAGERS who had been having sex, now dead in each other's arms.\n\nEXT. FREEWAY. DAY\n\nMultiple car crashes on a now completely still freeway.\n\nINT. HOSPITAL, SURGERY ROOM. DAY\n\nA life saving surgery, with the PATIENT'S chest open - all DOCTORS are dead.\n\nINT/EXT. CHURCH. DAY\n\nA BRIDE and her FRIENDS who were preparing to walk down the aisle, now dead.\n\nINT. AUXOLITH FULFILLMENT CENTER. DAY\n\nThe FULFILLMENT CENTER where Teddy worked has stopped.\n\nHis coworker TINA lies on the floor, at peace.\n\nINT. TEDDY'S HOUSE. DAY\n\nInside Teddy's house, all is still. A framed PHOTO on the wall shows a young Teddy being bathed by his mother.\n\nEXT. MEADOW. DAY\n\nAll man-made interference with nature has stopped.\n\nAll human life is gone.\n\nThere is only quiet.\n\nUtter peace.\n\nBut the countryside is alive .\n\nAlive with the SOUNDS of insects, birds, and mammals. The natural world teeming with post-historic life.\n\nEarth has been saved.\n\nA beautiful FLOWER gently sways in the clean breeze.\n\nA HONEYBEE lands on the flower.\n\nTHE END","title_page":{"title":"Bugonia (2025)","author":"Will Tracy","draft_date":"12th August 2024","revision":"DRAFT EIGHT - PINK SHOOTING SCRIPT","notes":"Based on \"Save the Green Planet!\" by Jang Joon-hwan"},"format_overrides":{"111124":"Action","11653":"Action","11660":"Action","38699":"Action","54956":"Action","64551":"Action"},"revision_marks":{"43634":true,"43642":true,"43652":true,"43660":true,"43954":true,"51482":true,"51502":true,"51562":true,"51740":true,"51864":true,"52009":true},"revision":0,"page_count":0,"created_at":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","updated_at":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z"}