

                              The Hollow Man
                      written by Andrew W. Marlowe
                                                
       FADE IN:
       On complete darkness.
       A SMALL DOOR swings open.
       A circle of light reveals that we I re looking down the 
       length of a tube. At the far end of the tube, we see a 
       gloved hand dangling a rat. The hand shoves the 
       frightened rat into the tube and closes the door behind 
       it. The rats stark white fur bristles and it begins to 
       pad down the tubes length.
       After several feet, the tube opens up into a dimly lit 
       cubicle. The rat hesitates and stops.
       The SOUNDS of gentle BREATHING whispers in the rats 
       ears.
       The rat turns round to head back down the tube, but a 
       door swings shut, trapping it in the cubicle.
       The rat cowers as the BREATHING turns to SNORTING.
       The rats head jerks around, looking for signs of danger, 
       but the cubicle is empty. The rat sees a water dish on 
       the far side of the cubicle - a place to hide - and 
       dashes toward it.
       But an invisible force descends.
       The rat squeals in agony as something smashes down on its 
       body, crushing it.
       A LOUD BELLOW rings out, and the rat flies into the air, 
       halting a few feet off the ground. Its body writhes, 
       struggling against the unholy force.
       Then a sick crunch of tiny bones snapping. All life 
       quickly drains from the levitating body. Dead eyes...
       The creatures corpse floats in mid-air. Then the white 
       fur of the rat explodes in a shower of blood.
       HUGE BLOOD SMEARED INCISORS appear, as do the red-slicked 
       ape- like lips. The gaping bloody mouth bites again into 
       the rat.
                                                            CUT TO:
       INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
       In the background we hear Jay Lenos monologue from the 
       Tonight Show. A small lamp and the glow from a computer 
       screen illuminates SEBASTIAN CAINE, late twenties with 
       the shabby good looks of a perpetual grad-student. Wiry 
       framed and wearing only boxer shorts, Sebastian sips 
       coffee from an Einstein coffee mug. He peers at a 
       complex computer rendered molecule displayed on his 
       screen. He pecks a few keys and the molecule shifts 
       slightly, then falls apart.
       Sebastian pulls a twinkie from a hostess box, unwraps the 
       cellophane and sucks it down. He attacks the keyboard 
       with renewed vigor.
       Another molecule appears on the screen. Sebastians 
       fingers fly across the keyboard. The molecule blinks on 
       and off, it trembles and twists apart.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Damnit.
       Sebastian pears out his window. Across the courtyard, a 
       light comes on in a neighboring window. He sees a 
       BRUNETTE, mid-twenties, absolutely stunning, enter her 
       living room. The Brunette thumbs through the mail, tosses 
       it and then begins to undress. Sebastian loans over to 
       the window, getting interested. But when the brunette 
       reaches her bra and panties, she crosses to the window 
       and lowers her shades.
                           SEBASTIAN (contd)
                 Damnit.
       Sebastian leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. 
       Hes obviously tired. He opens his eyes and stares up at 
       the ceiling. Painted across the white matte finish in big 
       red letters is a brief reminder - You Should Be 
       Working. Sebastian sighs, leans forward and begins 
       pecking away again.
                                                             LATER:
       The television is now only static. We pan by his alarm 
       clock. 4 am. We find Sebastian pacing in front of his 
       computer.
       He gets an idea... slides back in his chair. Types away 
       again. The molecule reforms on the computer screen.
       He types a few more keys, waits, watches the molecule. 
       Nothing happens.
       He hits a few more keys and watches intently for a 
       reaction.
                           SEBASTIAN
                     (beat)
                 I am a goddamn genius.
       He hits a few more keys and a telephone keypad appears on 
       the screen. He dials.
                                                            CUT TO:
       INT. ANOTHER BEDROOM - NIGHT
       Digital phone rings.
       In the bed, LINDA FOSTER, late twenties, stirs from a 
       deep sleep. As she straggles out of bed and over to her 
       desk, we notice a young man sleeping next to her.
       The ringing continues. She moves her computer mouse 
       around and her screen comes to life. She click on a 
       telephone icon and the ringing stops. A beat later, 
       Sebastian appears in a window on her screen.
                           LINDA
                 Sebastian, do you know what time it 
                 is?
                           SEBASTIAN (SCREEN)
                 You know Da Vinci never slept. Said it 
                 was waste of time.
                           LINDA
                 What is it this time?
       INTERCUT: SEBASTIANS BEDROOM
       Sebastian peers at the image of Linda in the computer 
       window. He notices something behind her in the bed, the 
       young man sleeping face down.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Whos that?
       Linda pulls the camera off the top of the of the computer 
       screen and positions it so Sebastian cant see the bed.
                           LINDA
                 Not your business. Not anymore.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Touche.
                           LINDA
                 So you calling about anything in 
                 particular, or were you just hoping to 
                 catch me sleeping in the nude?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 I cracked the reversion.
       Upon hearing this, Linda receives a jolt of adrenaline.
                           LINDA
                 You cracked it?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Look at this. 
       Sebastian hits a couple of keys. A moment later the 
       molecular structure appears on Lindas computer.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Watch this.
                           LINDA
                 You sure?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 91% sure.
                           LINDA
                     (astonished)
                 Eleven months with no progress and you 
                 suddenly come up with it out of the 
                 blue? How?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 The usual. Coffee and twinkies.
                           LINDA
                 I hate you.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 I know. You think you could hunt down 
                 Matt and get to the lab early. I want 
                 Isabelle prepped for a live test.
                           LINDA
                 Yeah, I think I can find him. What are 
                 you going to do?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Well yknow. Its daylight in 
                 Switzerland. I gotta call the Nobel
                 Committee and tell them to get our
                 prizes ready. See you in a few.
       ON LINDAS COMPUTER SCREEN as Sebastian clicks off. Linda 
       crosses to her bed, and shakes the guy awake.
                           LINDA
                 Hey... come on.
       DR. MATTHEW KENSINGTON, late 20s too, stirs from under 
       sheets.
                           MATT
                     (groggy)
                 What?
                           LINDA
                 Sebastian just called. We gotta get to 
                 the lab.
       Matt bolts up.
                           MATT
                 Shit! You didnt tell him I was here, 
                 did you?
                           LINDA
                 Give me some credit, will ya.
                           MATT
                 So whats the rush?
                           LINDA
                 He cracked reversion.
       Matt pulls his jeans on.
                           MATT
                 Wanna ride down?
                           LINDA
                 We better take our own cars.
                           MATT
                 Youre gonna have to tell him about us 
                 eventually.
                           LINDA
                 I know. Its just Youre his best 
                 friend. Hell feel betrayed.
       EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. SKYLINE - DAY
       From a distance, the Nations Monuments stand awash in 
       the harsh light of morning.
       CAMERA finds a BLACK PORSCHE as it pulls to the security 
       fence of a warehouse. The imposing structure is 
       surrounded by a chainlink fence and barbed wire.
       The Porsche is waved through security and heads straight 
       into the warehouse.
       INT. WAREHOUSE -DAY
       The Porsche pulls to a halt in a reserved parking space 
       and Sebastian exits, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, 
       and Birkenstocks. He notes the other cars parked in the 
       lot, then crosses to bunker in the center of the 
       warehouse, guarded by a MARINE, shouldering an M-16.
                           MARINE GUARD
                 Morning, sir.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Morning, Ed.
                           MARINE GUARD
                 Your teams in early. Something 
                 special going on?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Sorry, Ed. You know the rules. 
       Sebastian presses his thumb against a glass screen. A 
       laser reads his print. 
       Scan readout: CAINE, SEBASTIAN 
       Clearance:    ALPHA ALPHA THREE 
       Division:     CLASSIFIED 
       The doors whisk open and Sebastian steps inside.
                           MARINE GUARD
                 Have a good day, sir.
       INT. ELEVATOR - DAY
       Inside the elevator is a numberless keypad. Sebastian 
       taps in his floor code.
                           ELEVATOR (V.0.)
                 Authorization please.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Caine zero zero two seven.
                           ELEVATOR (V.0.)
                 Authorization verified. Good morning, 
                 Dr. Caine. 
       The elevator descends with a groaning hum. It passes 
       below us and keeps descending into the belly of the 
       earth, the shaft goes down forever.
       INT. HABITATS CORRIDOR
       We slowly push down a hallway panelled by Plexiglas 
       chambers. Each chamber looks as if its tailored for a 
       specific animal, although no animals are visible.
       As we pass one habitat, something slams into the 
       Plexiglas and begins barking. Another HOWL joins in. Then 
       SCREECHING. Suddenly the hallway fills with a dozen 
       animal cries. THUMP.
       THUMP.
       The Plexiglas on several chambers vibrates as if angry 
       animals were slamming against it. But still, no animals 
       are seen.
       Above each chamber, VIDEO SCREENS display THERMAL IMAGES 
       revealing heat signatures of the various animals, but 
       they remain invisible to the naked eye. MATT taps on a 
       sheet of Plexiglas which seals off another seemingly 
       empty cage.
                           MATT
                 Isabelle ...
       The woodchips on the floor shift and suddenly the 
       Plexiglas steams up right in front of Matts face. The 
       Plexiglas begins to shake violently.
                           MATT (contd)
                 Calm down baby. Calm down. Its 
                 okay...
       Matt takes a pair of thermal goggles from his belt and 
       pulls them down over his eyes. 
       THERMAL POV - A rather large heat signature, ape-like in 
       shape, rattles about the cage. Matt slowly unlatches the 
       Plexiglas door and reaches inside.
                           MATT (contd)
                 Its okay, baby. Its okay. Im not 
                 going to hurt you. Come here.
       THERMAL POV - he reaches out to the creature. He grabs 
       hold of it, firmly. Stroking it. The creature COOS. Matt 
       reaches for a hypo and brings it up to the creature.
                           MATT (contd)
                 Just hold still. 
       Something clamps down on his hand, breaking his skin. 
       Blood erupts in a bite pattern.
                           MATT (contd)
                  Ow, shit.
       Matt drops the hypo and falls back. The cage door flies 
       open and something runs out. Matt pulls himself up to see 
       the heat signature running down the hallway. He turns 
       around to see another heat signature coming at him. Matt 
       pulls off his goggles to see Linda coming up the 
       Corridor.
                           LINDA
                 You okay?
                           MATT
                 She bit me.
                           LINDA
                 Yeah. Shes become a lot more 
                 aggressive in the last few days.
       Linda takes the goggles from Matt.
                           LINDA (contd)
                 Go take care of that bite. Ill get 
                 her.
                           MATT
                 And give you a chance to pull ahead? 
                 Never.
       Linda opens a lock-box at the end of the hallway and 
       pulls out a two tranquilizer guns. She hands one to Matt.
       AROUND THE CORNER
       A slight distortion shimmers as something runs past us. 
       We hear HOOTS and FOOTSTEPS.
       Looking down the shadowy corridor, we hear grunting and a 
       haunting heavy breathing. The control door is closed 
       though and something large and angry is throwing itself 
       against it. We cant see anything.
       A few moments later, Linda and Matt round the corner, 
       wearing goggles and leveling their pistols.
                           MATT
                     (ala Porky)
                 Shh. Be vewy, vewy quiet. Im hunting 
                 simians.   heheheheh.
                           LINDA
                 Knock it off.
                     (soothing voice)
                 Isabelle!
       THERMAL POV - Dark hallway. Movement. A red shimmering 
       heat signature. It comes running at Linda. HOWLING. Linda 
       fires. A T-DART flies. Thwack... It stops in mid-air. 
       Then falls. But it doesnt hit the floor. Instead, it 
       stops inches above the ground. 
       THERMAL POV - the heat signature lies in a heap at 
       Lindas feet.
                           MATT
                 Good shootin, Tex.
                           LINDA
                 Whats that make it?
                           MATT
                 Im still ahead. 6 to 5.
       Like a smug gunfighter, Linda blows imaginary smoke from 
       the top of her tranquilizer gun.
                           LINDA
                 But Im catching up.
       INT. CORRIDOR - DAY
       The elevator doors open and Sebastian steps out. Hes met 
       by SARAH KENNEDY, early thirties, a fiery red-head.
                           SARAH
                 Can I have a word?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Most normal people say good morning.
                           SARAH
                 Dont you think you should test the 
                 protocol on the liver samples before 
                 you inject Isabelle?
                           SEBASTIAN
                 How many tissue samples have we 
                 successfully regressed? Hundreds, 
                 right? How many have gone on to work 
                 on the full system? None.
                           SARAH
                 Thats beside the point.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 No, that is the point. Im not going 
                 to waste six months of my life on an 
                 outmoded testing procedure. This thing 
                 works. I know it. I feel it.
       Linda comes down the corridor, listening in on the tail 
       end of the conversation.
                           SARAH
                 Fine. You can mop up afterward.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 You think Im going to kill Isabelle?
                           SARAH
                 Kill? More like liquefy.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Sarah, thank you for your opinion, but 
                 Im the project leader. Understand? 
       She says ...
                           SARAH
                 Yes, Sir.
       ... but somehow it feels like Fuck you. She storms off. 
       Sebastian turns to Linda.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 How did you ever convince me to hire 
                 her?
                           LINDA
                 You said you wanted the beat vet in 
                 the country.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Yeah, well she cares more about the 
                 animals than the research.
                           LINDA
                 Maybe thats why shes so good.
                                                            CUT TO:
       CLOSE ON: MATT as he shuts off the spinning cyclotron. As 
       its spinning slows to a halt, he pops the top and 
       reaches in, removing...
       A GLOWING VIAL OF ORANGE LIQUID.
       Sebastian peers at the vial.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Who da Man? You da Man.
                           MATT
                 As we pull out we see we are.
       INT. LABORATORY - DAY
       Almost feels like a dungeon. Think high-tech 
       Frankenstein. Walls lined with video displays, technical 
       readouts, bizarre medical equipment.
       On a table in the middle of the room, a sheet drapes over 
       a humanoid form, strapped down at its invisible limbs. 
       The straps move slightly... ghostly. Wires lead from the 
       body to lots of machinery.
                           MATT
                 Protocol is hot.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Vitals?
       Sarah, checks over the various readouts ... heartbeat, 
       blood pressure, the rest.
                           SARAH
                 Normal.
       CARTER ABBEY, the late thirties lab assistant, wheels in 
       a cart of equipment. Linda taken a seat by the table and 
       pushes aside the sheet.
                           BOOMING VOICE
                 THIS IS GOD. YOU ARE DISTURBING THE
                 NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS AND WILL BE
                 SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR ALL ETERNITY.
                 GOD HAS SPOKEN.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 How many times do I have to tell you, 
                 Frank you arent God.
                     (beat)
                 I am.
                           FRANK (LOUDSPEAKER)
                 Sorry, Boss. Forgot.
       Sebastian glance up at a glass booth overlooking the 
       Laboratory floor. TWO PEOPLE in the booth.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 You guys ready to roll?
       INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH
       FRANK CHASE, early thirties, and tech expert JANICE 
       WALTON, early twenties, man a small booth above the lab. 
       Theyre dressed more like band roadies than scientists.
       The room is crammed with electronic and recording 
       equipment. A handful of monitors display different images 
       of the lab. Thermal and regular video. Another screen 
       monitors vital signs.
                           FRANK
                 We are live and in color. On your 
                 mark.
       Frank and Janice looks down on their colleagues. 
       Sebastian nods their way.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Okay. Roll em.
                           JANICE
                 Okay. We are rolling record on videos 
                 one through twelve.
       Frank hits a series of buttons and speaks into a 
       microphone. Recording.
       INT. LABORATORY - DAY
       Franks voice echoes through the chamber.
                           FRANK (V.O.)
                 Subject Isabelle Two. Currently in 
                 phase shift... one hundred twenty six 
                 days, eighteen hours.
                           LINDA
                 Testing De-Phase protocol. Injecting 
                 serial protein Caine One Two Five. 
       Linda removes a glowing vial of orange liquid from a 
       centrifuge nearby.
                           MATT
                 Maybe if you stopped naming them after 
                 yourself, youd have better luck.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Why thank you, Dr. Kensington, for 
                 that keen scientific observation. Ill 
                 be sure to include it in my memoirs.
                           MATT
                 A whole mention? And I thought I was 
                 just gonna be a footnote.
       Matt unwraps a hypodermic needle and jabs the needle into 
       the vial, drawing up the colored liquid.
       INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH
                           MATT
                 Okay.
       Frank and Janice monitor Isabelles vitals.
       INT. LABORATORY - DAY
       Tension in the air.
                           SEBASTIAN
                     (to Linda)
                 Ready.
       She wraps a bungee cord around nothing and pulls it 
       tight. She then takes some dye and sprays it. A surface 
       appears, floating beneath the restraints. It sheens in 
       the light as Linda searches for a vein. She slaps the 
       surface several times. A small bulge appears, like a 
       vein.
                           LINDA
                 Propped.
                           MATT
                 Lets make some history.
       Matt lowers the hypo to the vein. But Sebastian takes the 
       hypo from Matts hand.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Nice try, Sparky.
       Matt relinquishes the needle.
                           LINDA
                 Come on, Isabelle. You can do this. 
       Sebastian lowers the hypo. The skin bonds and gives. The 
       needle remains in sight after it slips through the 
       visible surface. Matt presses down on the hypo plunger, 
       releasing a dye into his bloodstream. The gold liquid 
       twists into a long snaking tube up and down the limb. 
       Its the shape of a vein. The liquid begins to react. 
       Small flashes of light blip up and down the strand of 
       color. Ba-bump.. ba-bump... the heartbeat starts to speed 
       up.
                           SARAH
                 Elevated heartbeat.
       INT. OBSERVATION BOOTH
       Janice analyzes the screens.
                           JANICE
                 Were still in the green.
                           FRANK
                 Confirmed. Vitals still in the normal 
                 range.
       INT. LABORATORY
       The glowing liquid turns from gold to red as the complex 
       webbing of a bloodstream appears.
                           MATT
                 Its reacting.
       Spreading out from the bloodstream, soon becomes 
       visible.. the shadow of a skeletal system.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Do you see this?
                           LINDA
                 Its working. Its actually working. 
       Matt pulls the sheet back. Muscles are beginning to 
       appear. And eyeballs. Frightened eyeballs.
                           SARAH
                 Heart rates up. Shes scared.
       Sarah soothes her.
                           SARAH (contd)
                 It's okay, baby. It's okay.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 Subject began manifesting almost 
                 Immediately. Protocol is reacting 
                 quickly.
       Isabelle starts to struggle against her restraints. She 
       begins to howl.
                           LINDA
                 Subject may be in pain or extreme 
                 discomfort.
                           SARAH
                 Goddamnit. Blood pressure elevating. 
                 Brain activity going through the roof. 
       The brain appears, seemingly growing from the inside out. 
       The shape of a large half-formed monkey grows from the 
       inside out. A SKULL APPEARS howling in pain, in horror.
                           SARAH (contd)
                 Weve got a problem.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 What? What problem!
       Sarah checks her monitors.
                           SARAH
                 Its her heart. We can see the heart 
                 beating in the apes
                           FRANK (V.0.)
                 I got an erratic heart beat.
                           SARAH
                 Shes going into cardiac arrest.
                           LINDA
                 Got the crash cart.
       Carter charges the crash cart and rolls it in.
                           SARAH
                 Were losing her.
       Her machine flatlines.
                           SEBASTIAN
                 No! Its got to work.
       The body is only half there. It looks as if its caught in 
       decomposition. Linda rubs the cardiac paddles together.
                           LINDA
                 Clear!
       Linda slams the paddles on the monkeys chest. The jolt 
       of electricity makes the monkey visible again for a brief 
       moment. Then the skin and flesh fade away again.
                           SARAH
                 Weve got something!
       The heartbeat starts up again. The body continues its 
       march toward,visibility.
                           SARAH (contd)
                 Still. erratic.
                           LINDA
                 Come on Isabelle. Come on. You can do 
                 it. You can fucking do it.
       Everybodys pulling for her.
                           SARAH
                 Come on, monkey.
                           MATT
                 Do it. Do it. Come on.
       Muscles spread like a rash on bone as the monkey twists 
       and turns, frightened. Then skin. The monkey howls. Skin 
       forms over the muscles reappearing like it was being 
       painted on before our eyes.
                           SARAH
                 Stabilizing.
       The entire form glows, then blinks, then glows again, as 
       if it was discharging some stored energy.
                           FRANK (V.0.)
                 Brain activity returning to normal.
       The monkey grunts and groans. Blinks its eyes. Linda 
       hovers over it stroking its fur.
                           LINDA
                 Welcome back, Isabelle.
       Sebastian puts his hand on Lindas shoulder... a move 
       that does not go unnoticed by Matt. We did it.
                           SEBASTIAN
                     (beat)
                 How is she?
                           SARAH
                     (surprised)
                 I think shes gonna be okay
