ARE WE ALONE?
Page 5
Most people agree that the Human Race throughout the universe was appointed by God as caretakers of planets. I guess we can get an insight into the motives of aliens, by examining how well we’ve taken care of Earth.
CHAZ
Shit, we’re all dead. YASMINE
Come on, we’re going green, recycling...
CHRISTINA Uh, oil spills... YASMINE
Socialized healthcare... CHAZ
Which will never happen. Take money away from the rich? Yeah, sure...
YASMINE
Helping third world countries... CHRISTINA
Oh, yeah, by starting wars and then selling them guns.
CHAZ
And, legs, artificial ones, to replace the ones torn off by landmines.
YASMINE
Medical advances to improve lives...
CHAZ
Through cloning... No cure for cancer...We can’t even stop the violence on the Mexican border, how can we expect to stop...
ANTHONY What if...
Anthony looks up into sky, with everyone else also looking up into the sky. POV switches and circles around the students, then switches to an AERIAL VIEW, looking down at their faces, which are lighted by the flames of the campfire.
ANTHONY (CONT’D)
They’ve lost their patience and see that we're heading down a road, which will not only lead to our own destruction, but...
(pause)
Possibly other planets?
GINA Okay, okay... ANTHONY
What if Chaz is right... GINA
Like that would ever happ... ANTHONY
This time, they’re coming to annihilate us? Eliminate the threat.
YASMINE
When we do explorations on other planets, the first thing we do is slam a flag into the ground, proclaiming it as our own.
CHRISTINA
We drill holes into these planets, without knowing what we're doing, like we own the whole universe.
Gina gets up and looks at the other students. Okay, okay...this is getting way too deep for a school project, why don't we...
YASMINE
IT IS a school project. School is suppose to encourage us to think, to explore other possibilities, to think outside the box...challenge the status quo.
(looking at Gina)
Not to just spit back what our teachers tell us.
(looking up into the sky) What if, they’ve said, "We'll give them one more generation to prove that they're part of the human race."
(pause - looking at the others)
What if, what if we're that generation? What if it's up to us to show them that we're worth saving?
CHAZ
(softly)
Yeah, or maybe, it was our parents’ generation and that was the last chance.
Chaz drops his head. CHAZ (CONT’D) In which case, we’re fucked. Anthony looks up into the sky. ANTHONY Are we worth saving? SCENE DISSOLVES TO BLACK: ANTHONY (V.O.) (CONT’D) Gina? Gina? Come on, we have to go.
FADE IN: DREAM: BEGINS EXT. CAMP - NIGHT
Gina BLINKS her eyes, seeing the pale face of Anthony, standing above her. Anthony looks to the side. ANTHONY
No, it can’t be happening. GINA
(coming awake)
What? What’s happening. Suddenly, Gina is covered in a BLINDING WHITE LIGHT. Anthony jerks Gina up and starts to run, practically dragging Gina behind him. Anthony stumbles and they both fall.
Gina rolls slightly to the side and comes face-to-face with Chaz’, whose eyes are wide open, but dead. Gina looks slightly down and sees that it’s just Chaz’ head; his head has been cleanly removed from his body (NO BLOOD - SURGICAL PRECISION).
Gina SCREAMS, as Anthony grabs at her, trying to get her up off the ground.
ANTHONY Come on.
Anthony manages to get Gina up and they start to run. GINA What? What... Gina chances a look back, seeing the BLINDING WHITE LIGHT hovering over the campsite. Gina starts to look up, but Anthony tugs at her, forcing her to turn back around, and run.
They run a short distance, with Anthony pulling Gina down to the ground, behind a slight hill. Their faces are both drenched in sweat.
ANTHONY
(whispering)
That fuckin’ old man. The rocks, the rocks brought them right to the campfire. Chaz, he, they took him, then, then...
FLASH IMAGE: CHAZ’ SEVERED HEAD. ANTHONY (CONT’D) Spit him back...like the goats. Yasmine? Christina? ANTHONY
They have Yasmine. Christina...I don’t know.
GINA
This, this can’t be happening. Aliens, aliens don’t exist. They...
Gina chances a look over the hill, seeing an approaching silhouette. Fear is etched on Gina’s face. While she wants to look away, she can’t, as the FIGURE continues walking towards her. Anthony pulls at Gina.
ANTHONY
We have to get away from here. OLD MAN (O.S.) Where you gonna go? They jerk around, seeing Old Man, pushing his wheel barrel. Old Man is wearing Chaz’ BLOODY T-shirt (TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER), but has turned it around, with the printing, “I AM YOUR LEADER”, now on the front.
OLD MAN (CONT’D)
Ain’t no escape. Gotta pay the god damn piper.
Old Man tilts the wheel barrel, with Christina rolling out of the wheel barrel, dropping down on top of Gina, who instantly SCREAMS, as she sees Christina’s intestines, spilling out. Gina struggles to get out from under Christina’s BLOODY body.
Anthony tries to help her, as Old Man sets the wheel barrel down and picks up his shovel. OLD MAN (CONT’D)
They said they’d take out the damn do-hickey, if’n I brought them some...lab rats.
Old Man raises the shovel above his head. OLD MAN (CONT’D)
Squeak. Go on...Squeak for me, like a damn rat. Caus’n that’s all you be. Damn lab rats running through a fuckin’ maze.
Old Man swings the shovel down, with Anthony instinctively raising his arms, but the blow crushes through Anthony’s arm, hitting him on the head.
Gina looks at Anthony, as BLOOD drips down his head. Anthony slumps over on his side, as Gina GASPS, places her hand to her mouth, and SCREAMS.
OLD MAN (CONT’D) Yeah, scream. Old Man raises the shovel above his head, but then stops, looking past Gina, seeing the approaching FIGURE, which draws closer.
OLD MAN (CONT’D)
(to FIGURE)
You, you said they were mine. You promised. A promise is a god damn promise.
Gina turns slightly, looking at the approaching FIGURE. GINA
(begging)
Please, please...help me. YASMINE
I believe that aliens are space travelers, seeking to help...
The FIGURE steps closer, becoming recognized as Yasmine, but she’s wearing a flowing gown that appears to be translucent, seeming to glow with brilliant light.
GINA
Yasmine? Is that... YASMINE
I have many names. To help you...I must first change you.
Yasmine moves closer to Gina, holding out her hand. YASMINE (CONT’D) Come, come with me. On, on a journey.
Yasmine moves closer. YASMINE (CONT’D) Trust...You can trust me. Gina happens to look down, seeing that Yasmine is carrying some objects in her other hand.
The light changes and Gina sees that Yasmine is carrying the heads of Chaz, Christina, and Anthony. Gina jerks to the side, seeing Anthony’s body, minus his head.
Gina jerks to the other side, seeing Christina’s body, minus her head. Gina jerks back towards Yasmine, who slightly swings the heads. Gina SCREAMS.
DREAM: ENDS
EXT. CAMP - NIGHT Gina jerks up in her sleeping bag, SCREAMING. Everyone jumps from their sleeping bags, looking at Gina, whose face is drenched in sweat and is white with fear.
Gina slowly calms down and looks around, seeing the other students; alive.
CHRISTINA You okay? GINA
Uh, yeah, yeah...I’m okay. Just a nightmare.
Gina looks around the campsite, failing to see either aliens or spaceshi
ps.
YASMINE No aliens.
Gina looks back at Yasmine. YASMINE (CONT’D) Trust...You can trust me. Gina looks at Yasmine, who smiles, then lays back down. The others also look at Gina, then lay back down, except Chaz, who gets up, looks at Gina, then moves to the cameras, checking them.
GINA Chaz?
CHAZ Yeah? GINA
Do you, do you believe in aliens? Chaz looks up at Gina and almost LAUGHS, then sees that Gina is serious, and he hesitates.
CHAZ
Isn’t that the whole purpose of this little project? To prove the existence of aliens?
Chaz looks at Gina, then softens, as he looks up into the sky. CHAZ (CONT’D)
Who knows if aliens exist, but...my dad, who thinks he’s a hippy, always says, “Son, most things in this life...Just because you can’t hold it in your hand, doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
Chaz looks at Gina, who still seems upset/scared. CHAZ (CONT’D)
(smiling)
Come on, if aliens existed, they’d be running the place by now. Aliens are like...
Chaz thinks, as he looks back up into the sky. He then smiles, looking back at Gina. CHAZ (CONT’D)
(fake Irish accent)
Leprechauns, unicorns, and the boogey-man. Just stories, nothing more and...nothing to fear.
(regular voice)
Besides, I’m here to protect you. Gina looks at Chaz. GINA You know...
Gina smiles at Chaz, then moves and lays back down. GINA (CONT’D) Thanks.
Gina closes her eyes. GINA (CONT’D) Aliens?
(smiling)
(MORE)
GINA (CONT’D) Leprechauns?
Chaz watches Gina through a camera, then moves the camera, seeing Yasmine, Christina, and then Anthony.
POV switches to another camera, with Chaz coming into view, as he watches the others.
As Chaz looks through the camera, a BLURRED SHAPE moves behind him, with Chaz unaware.
From the POV of the third camera, the BLURRED SHAPE circles the campsite. CHAZ
Aliens? We have more to fear from gangbangers, outlaw bikers, politicians, twisted
professors...and...
Chaz moves the camera, focusing on the sleeping Yasmine. CHAZ (CONT’D) Lesbians. Chaz moves the camera away from Yasmine, focusing on the crest of a hill. Chaz looks away from the camera and then looks at the other cameras, with Chaz coming briefly into focus on the other cameras.
Behind Chaz, BLURRED SHAPES seem to quickly move. Chaz seems satisfied and moves to a sleeping bag and gets inside, with Chaz being observed from one of the cameras. He looks at the other sleeping students, then looks directly at the camera. He offers a smile, then lays down, closing his eyes.
Camera continues to focus on Chaz for a short period of time. Chaz appears to be startled and wakes up, sitting up in the sleeping bag. He looks around.
From the POV of the camera, a BLURRED SHAPE moves behind Chaz. Chaz turns in that direction and looks. Chaz seems to be curious, as he gets up and starts walking away from the campsite.
Chaz moves around the campsite and is picked up on the screen of another camera. He then disappears behind a slight hill. Chaz walks a short distance then suddenly stops, whirling around, but sees nothing. He scans the area and then turns back around, continuing to walk.
Again, he suddenly stops and whirls around. What, what do you want? Chaz starts to back up, then stumbles, falling to the ground. POV moves to above Chaz, looking down at his face, which appears to be etched with fear.
CHAZ (CONT’D) Please...Please...
Chaz suddenly starts to smile. CHAZ (CONT’D) Show me your boobs. VIEW EXPANDS OUT, showing Yasmine, who seductively smiles. POV moves behind Danielle, who starts to remove her top. YASMINE
Do you really believe that this time...This time, the aliens will be hostile?
Chaz holds up his hands to Yasmine, motioning for her to come closer. Yasmine raises her top to her shoulders.
CHAZ
I don't even believe in aliens. Chaz suddenly stops and looks at Yasmine’s chest. CHAZ (CONT’D) (almost scared)
Wait...Is that a third boob? From behind Yasmine, she starts to lower her top again. YASMINE Fuck you.
CHAZ
Wait. I was just joking. Come on. YASMINE
That’s your problem. You’re always joking.
CHAZ Yeah, but... Chaz gets up and moves closer to Yasmine. He lightly kisses her, then moves his hands behind her back.
We both know what you like. Chaz moves his hands up underneath Yasmine’s top and then moves the top up over Yasmine’s shoulders. Yasmine moves and lets the top drop off, as they begin to more passionately kiss
As they become more intimate, Yasmine moves and removes Chaz’ shirt, letting it drop to the ground, with a BRIEF FOCUS on the front, which reads, “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER.” They become more intimate and lower themselves to the ground.
POV begins to slowly move around them, as though someone is walking around them.
POV then moves to a single view, with the view of Yasmine on top of Chaz, starting to move up and down, ZOOMING. JUMP CUT TO:
EXT. CAMP - NIGHT Gina wakes up and looks around, failing to see Chaz and Yasmine. She turns and then sees Anthony, who is looking through one of the cameras, which he has turned away from the hills. Gina gets up and moves up behind him.
GINA Where’s...
Anthony jumps and spins around. He slightly calms down, as he sees that it’s Gina.
ANTHONY
You scared the shit out of me. Anthony calms down, as he looks at Gina, who looks back at the camp.
GINA
Where’s Chaz and Yasmine? Anthony hesitates and then points to the camera. Gina hesitates.
ANTHONY Take a look. Gina moves and looks at the camera, seeing Yasmine, who has tilted her head backwards, as she moves up and down on Chaz. Gina looks away.
Figures. They’re always fighting when they’re around other people, but...well...anyway, anything? Any aliens? Any spaceships?
ANTHONY
I was actually going to look at the footage we’ve already shot.
Gina looks at Anthony, with a questioning look. ANTHONY (CONT’D)
I know that Chaz is the... (making quote marks)
Camera guy, but I swapped out the memory cards, with fresh ones.
Anthony motions down towards his feet, with a laptop case coming into view.
ANTHONY (CONT’D) Want to take a look?
GINA Absolutely.
Anthony starts towards the laptop, then stops and smiles. ANTHONY
I think we have enough footage of Chaz and Yasmine for some adequate blackmail.
Gina smiles, as Anthony moves and tilts the camera back in another direction. Anthony then sits down, with Gina sitting beside him.
Anthony opens the case and takes out a laptop. POV switches to the far side, with Anthony and Gina coming into view, with their faces slightly highlighted by the glow of the laptop screen.
Gina looks at her watch, as Anthony puts a memory card into an external slot.
GINA Two more hours? ANTHONY What?
I think that everyone we talked to and some of your research indicated that most of the sightings occur between four and six or...
ANTHONY Oh, yeah.
LIGHTS suddenly flash over the hill, then disappears. GINA Oh...my...god. Anthony looks at Gina, then looks back down at the laptop. Gina grabs his arm.
GINA (CONT’D)
Didn’t you see that? The lights? ANTHONY
The turn-off from the highway is a couple of hills away. As the cars make the turn-off, they go up a slight hill, causing their
headlights to...
Anthony motions with his hand. ANTHONY (CONT’D) Light up this area. GINA
Could have been what people saw? Calling it U-F-O’s, when it was just headlights?
ANTHONY
No. The lights that people were reported were in the sky. You can tell that those were headlights, because it was like a bea
m, going from the ground up to the sky.
GINA Oh. OLD MAN (V.O.)
If’n knowing the truth makes me crazy, then I’m as crazy as a bedbug.
Gina looks at the laptop screen, seeing Old Man staring at Gina, who becomes uncomfortable. Old Man doesn’t even look down.
OLD MAN (V.O. May I see it?
Gina doesn’t know what Old Man is talking about. OLD MAN (V.O.) (CONT’D) The rock?
Gina moves and closes the laptop. GINA
I think I’ve seen enough. Anthony smiles. ANTHONY You’ll get better. GINA At what? POV switches to one of the cameras, showing a DARK FIGURE moving up behind Anthony and Gina, as Anthony and Gina look at each other.
ANTHONY
I don’t know...maybe... The DARK FIGURE moves closer behind Anthony and Gina, with the two students unaware.
GINA
You know, I really kinda... CHRISTINA (O.S.) I need to pee.
Anthony and Gina both jump and quickly turn around, as Christina comes into view, behind them.
CHRISTINA (CONT’D) Where’s the restroom?
ANTHONY Uh, Christina, uh... GINA
Uh, there’s no RESTROOM. Just pick a bush.
CHRISTINA Excuse me? A bush? Christina looks around, then back at Anthony and Gina. CHRISTINA (CONT’D) You can’t be serious? GINA
There’s toilet paper in the back of the car, next to the spare tire.
Christina stares at Gina, still in disbelief. CHRISTINA
A bush? If we don’t get an “A” on this project, I’m gonna...
Christina realizes that she really has to pee. CHRISTINA (CONT’D) By the spare tire? Gina nods her head, “YES”, with Christina hurrying back towards the car, as Gina and Anthony stifle a laugh, watching Christina make it to the car, lift the back, with the small LIGHT coming on, and then Christina searching for the toilet paper.
GINA
Not too bright. She should stick to being a dancer and...
ANTHONY A stripper?
GINA
Yeah, you didn’t know? Anthony shakes his head, “NO.” GINA (CONT’D)
Yeah, she got some kind of grant. Gina looks up into the sky. GINA (CONT’D)
The aliens definitely wouldn't take her, unless they were planning a bachelor party.
Gina turns to Anthony, smiling, but Anthony is frowning, as he looks up into the sky.
ANTHONY
Actually, I think they would take
her.(pause) People think that aliens are these super intelligent beings, which they are, but they're also