DATE LINE:
DECEMBER 2, 2005 06:00 GMT
EXT. -
HUT BAY, LITTLE ANDAMAN ISLAND
Hut Bay's clustered huts and buildings appear discarded behind the walled edge of the lagoon. The stalls of the morning market scatter as a running figure makes its way to the wall.
The ragged shadow of the Onge shaman woman merges with the wall as she slides into the water. She wades into the muddy waves. Fear distorts her face and the pain from her contractions. She arches her body as the newborn emerges from between her legs. Above her, on the wall, hundreds of figures, dark shadows backlit by the sun. She struggles to grasp her infant to her breast. She is surrounded by shouting Onge elders. The water turns a muddy red as the elders cut the infants umbilical and hold it aloft, its sleek inhuman body shinning in the light. The undulating wailing of the village women atop the wall stops abruptly. The whacking of machetes into flesh is the only sound beneath the wall.
DATE LINE:
DECEMBER 4, 11:00 GMT
INT. -
GHATS NAVAL AIR STATION
NEW MADRAS, INDIA
"Yes, Adrianne I'm trying, what? No we'll use the satellite... yes, two more births. I will. I'll send you everything I can. I know what's at stake. Yes, I'll talk to you as soon as we arrive, good-bye Adrianne. " Dr. Wynfield Ryan held the phone and slowly put it down. He glanced again at the photographs from Huts Bay. The mutilated bodies of the shaman woman and her dead infant laid out on the tarp like the days catch. Ryan shivered in spite of the heat, the infant's large cranial bulge, a smooth hump where a nose would be, an apparent blowhole atop the head and the slender dorsal ridge along the back. Such precise deformities, unlike any birth defects. Ryan put the photos into his bag. The humid air outside seemed to move around him in slow motion, despite the helicopters whirring blades. Ryan's team of marine biologists transferred their equipment from the helicopter that had flown them to Little Andaman, to the C-130.
INT. -
C-130
Ryan was the last aboard and strapped in beside his colleague and close friend, Dr. Kristan Hekla, the team's marine mammal biologist, Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Behind her the other five-team members settled in for the four-hour flight to Manila. Marian Wensley, doctor Heklas' assistant, graduate student marine biology, UC Santa Cruz. Carson Doyle, graduate student marine engineering [submersibles]. Dr. Liao Tzepo, marine evolution, University of Lima, Peru. Julian Pasco, doctor Tzepos' assistant, marine biologist. Lynn Franklin, science reporter, New York times.
Ryan turned to his team as the C-130 lifted off the end of the runway.
"Everyone use your comm.-sets" he gestured as he put his headset on. Ryan brought out his laptop and spoke to Kristan beside him, she had her own laptop as did the other team members, each members computer held their specialized fields data on the events they were about to investigate. "Kristan bring up the data on Tanimbar, please". Ryan paused as he scanned the description of the two bizarre births of deformed infants on Tanimbar Island, Indonesia. The infant's deformities were identical to the birth on Andaman. Kristan spoke to the whole group, "These births suggest a profound mutation has taken place, not a deformity caused by prenatal environmental contamination. If this is a true mutation it is unprecedented in human biology". "A probability of 26 million to one, by my calculation", said Carson. Ryan turned his head in the direction of Dr. Tzepo, "what are we seeing here Liao"? "Is this a freak accident"? 'Or the beginning of something unthinkable', Kristan, finished the unspoken sentence for her colleague.
"It is possible we are witnessing the first events in a series of mutations, which we have as yet found no causality". Dr. Tzepo continued," these events may very well decline as the causality is assimilated by the genetic norm". Lynn Franklin's voice cut in on Liao's explanation,
"Could we be seeing the beginning of a genetic mutation, that may spread elsewhere?" "Impossible to say until we have comparative tissue samples, and as you know the remains of the first birth were badly damaged." "But it is unlikely that a mutation would spread like a virus." "Dr. Pasco and I believe this is an anomaly, and no further births of this kind will take place." Ryan looked at Kristan and they both knew what the alternative could mean.
DATE LINE:
DECEMBER 4, 15:00 GMT
EXT. -
SUBIC BAY NAVAL AIR STATION
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The C-130 rolled to a stop a hundred yards from the base medical station and the green CDC biohazard van. The CDC van doors opened as Dr. Ryan, Dr. Hekla, Dr. Tzepo and Lynn Franklin descended from the transport. They entered the van and reemerged in biohazard suits heading for the facilities forensic lab.
INT. -
AUTOPSY LAB
Ryan and his team moved around the two tables with their small corpses. Dr. Hekla held the photographs of the Hut Bay infant and she and Ryan compared them with the corpse under the examination lamps.
"Wyn, this is incredible, look at the size of the frontal eminence and the lack of any nasal openings." Kristan continued, "Here's the nasal passage, an obvious blowhole, and the dorsal ridge." Ryan looked at Kristan and nodded. "Okay lets do an autopsy we need to see the internal organs development." He glanced at Dr. Geoffrey Sturgess, CDC field administrator and the two CDC lab technicians with their video equipment. "All right lets begin." Kristen made the first incision. They carefully examined the organs for any unusual defects or signs of toxicity. As they worked they removed tissue samples and photographed the unusual arrangement of organs, particularly in the cranium. Ryan performed the autopsy on the second corpse with identical results. "There seem to be no apparent diseased tissues in either corpse and no apparent abnormalities in organ development." Ryan concluded for the CDC recording. "Dr. Ryan I would suggest that we are seeing an unusual genetic birth defect and until we examine the tissue and blood samples we should consider this a potentially contagious virus." Said Dr. Sturgess. Ryan and Dr. Hekla glanced at each other and Kristan added her comment. " As you say Dr. Sturgess until we get lab reports on the tissue and blood samples we can't rule out infectious disease, but I agree with Dr. Ryans assessment that there is no evidence of disease in the organs, nor any gross deformities." Ryan nodded in agreement and said. "We were brought into this because the birth in Hut Bay was described as a "dolphin boy" by the local authorities. It was killed along with its mother because she was a shaman and accused of copulating with Dolphins. Now if this had been an isolated incident we would consider it an exaggeration by a superstitious tribe. There have been rumors of these births in the equatorial islands since early October. Andaman was the first birth we've been able to document. The three examples we've seen are identical in every way biologically. I don't believe we are seeing a contagious disease, rather a mutation of unknown cause." The CDC administrator signaled the technicians to stop recording. Sturgess looked hard at the dissected corpses and the group left the lab.
INT. -
HALL AUTOPSY LAB
Ryan and the others removed their bio-suits and proceeded to the observation window to watch the corpses being placed in sealed refrigeration containers for shipment to the states. "Do you know how long the average marine mammal can survive out of water Dr. Sturgess?" Ryan asked. Sturgess looked at Ryan. "I'm not sure I see your point Dr. Ryan?" Ryan answered. "About as long as those two infants before they died of dehydration." He continued. "I'm convinced this is not a contagious disease. Those two corpses are not a threat to us as contagion, their the first few drops in a genetic storm which could have a much greater effect on us as a species then any disease."
INT. -
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
WASHINGTON, DC
Rain pelted against the windows and thunder rumbled in the distance. Dr. Adrianne Webster, NSA advisor to the President, stared intently at the Capitol dome, just visible through the mist.
"You realize the uproar this will cause in congress, Madame Secretary"? Admiral Burton Rachick spoke from his chair as he finished the NSA briefing. Secretary Webster turned wearily from the window and picked up the CDC report on her desk, "They'll do whatever we recommend Admiral". She held up the report. "This rules out any possibility of a freak mutation and there's no evidence of environmental toxins." Adriannes' voice quavered slightly, "Christ, Burton, my own daughter is three weeks pregnant, I'd like to be a grandmother". Burton looked up at her, his voice almost a whisper, "I'm sorry Adrianne, this makes your recommendations very tough indeed".
INT. -
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON DC
The President, the Joint chiefs and senior cabinet members sat stunned, as Secretary Webster concluded the briefing. "Believe me I wish we had another course to take Mr. President". "We're already showing a 21% increase over the last 72 hour period, and that's only what's being reported".
Adrianne paused and turned to Dr. Sturgess. "Dr. Sturgess will fill in the details Mr. President". Sturgess stood and opened his folder, "As Dr. Webster has told you we've ruled out man made toxins as a cause for these birth defects". He looked around the room at each of them, and continued. "As of this morning we have not identified the agent responsible for the alteration in the embryos' DNA. It is triggered by a complex and not yet fully understood, set of environmental circumstances". Sturgess pointed to a flat nearly wall sized display and dimmed the lights. "The origin of the virus is of secondary importance for the moment however. "What we are seeing, as this graph shows, is an exponential increase starting at the equator and spreading rapidly north and south in what we call the Hamlin effect, as the worlds sea levels rise in the coastal regions, the number of birth defects follow the curve. The consequences for humanity are profoundly disturbing and probably irreversible." The men and women in the room stirred uncomfortably until Major General William Crawford silenced the room. "The President has asked me to make any suggestions which the military would be responsible in carrying out. It would seem we have few and certainly some grim choices to make. NSA has suggested one of these, the total quarantine of all pregnant women entering the country and preparations for the quarantine of all pregnant within our borders. We will need to act quickly and decisively in closing the borders and setting up quarantine stations, I would suggest that we also begin compiling data from all Obstetrician and Gynecological offices in the US and our territories." "May I comment Mr. President?" Everyone turned to hear what Dr. Ryan had to say. He continued, "We have all referred to these events as birth 'defects'. These infants are identical and in fact are quite capable of living a healthy life in and around the marine environment." "I suggest that what we are witnessing is the birth of a new species a 'Homocetus' we might call it." "An evolutionary change as dramatic as what was seen in the Burgess shale."
Stewart Murdock, Secretary of Commerce interrupted, "So you're saying this is the new species man's evolving into? What do you think will happen to the worlds' economy when the only folks being born are swimming off to look for fish?" A smile passed briefly across Ryans' face before he replied, "I think we will need to make some adjustments in our perceptions of what constitutes an 'economy'. Ryan raised his hand as Murdock started to object. "Time is not on our side, these changes are rapidly overtaking the entire planet." "I must stress one more point concerning the coming unrest." "There will be great fear and persecution of the 'Homocetus' children." "I suggest it is our duty to protect them and for our own future learn as much as we can about them." Everyone began to speak until the President stood and addressed them. "I have made my decision, Dr. Ryans suggestions will be taken into consideration. General Crawford will proceed with the border closures and the data base. I want all your suggestions by 10am tomorrow as to what we will tell the people."
DATELINE:
NOAA BASE CALABIN- ANTARTICA 09:25 GMT
EXT.
As the muffled " wummpphh" of the buried dynamite's detonation reached Gabriel Hammond's ears, he glanced at the ground sonar, noting the density of the ice pack along this side of the ridge. A cloud of ice particles geyser into the air from the detonation site,
" What the...?" " Carl do you see what I'm seeing, that cloud of particles floating over the detonation.
Carl Drexel turned around from his instruments to look to where Gabriel was pointing. The air sparkled where the sunlight passed through the detonation cloud.
" That's not detonation smoke, there wouldn't be any." said Drexel. The shimmering particles drifted with the wind, slowly settling toward the ice field, as clouds blocked the sun.
"Let's get some samples where it settled." Hammond said. Together they packed their equipment and loaded it aboard the snow cat." The Honlick Stream is moving faster than we anticipated. At this rate there'll be exposed rock all the way to the bottom by spring, said Hammond as he looked at the readings from the their tests " There is something we're missing Carl. All our pollutants, the burning rainforests, depleted ozone can't account for this rapid warming." Carl nodded
"Casey worked up a projection last night, it gives us sixteen months at the outside, possibly as little as three." Hammond looked at him
" My God three months! Seventy five meters world wide, it's the Maslin meltdown scenario" said Drexel. Hammond looked at the rocky landscape around them, more of Antarctica was being thawed out and uncovered daily.
" That's the place, see how it shimmers when the sun hits it?" Hammond pointed towards a narrow depression below the exposed rock. Carl stopped the cat and they walked into the depression. The sun broke through the clouds and they watched as a small formation of particles rose in a swirling thermal. Hammond used a fine screen to gather the particles until they coated the screen like a sheet of glass.
" This stuff isn't water Carl, look how it clings to the screen. Lets get back to base, I've got to see this magnified."
INT.
CALABAN BASE -DAY
Though Calaban looked weathered and disheveled from the outside, it's roomy living quarters and laboratories were large enough to accommodate a well-staffed research team. Since budget cutting and shifting priorities, only three people occupied Cabana, along with some of the most sophisticated equipment. Hammond peered through the compound microscope at the nearly microscopic particles. Across the room Casey Turner was doing spectral analysis on her samples. Carl was calibrating the Argon Laser to photograph them suspended in a vacuum chamber.
" They're perfect eight sided planes on the diameter. I've never seen anything like them." Hammond took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
" Gabe, Carl come look at this," said Casey. They joined her and looked at the monitor in her workstation.
" The computer can't make a complete analysis, no known analogue available." She swiveled around in her chair to face them " it's not finding it in our data base and we've got every known man-made and natural state of matter available!" Hammond turned to Carl. " Carl let's run the laser through them and see what we get." They waited as Carl powered up the laser. The dust seemed to float in the vacuum. The beam of light from the laser bathed the particles in a dazzling iridescence.
" Look at the temperature spike!" Carl indicated the gauge, which was rapidly going off the scale.
" Get down!" yelled Carl. The vacuum chamber glowed, a deep cherry red glass and epoxy surface seemed to sag and then a tremendous flash of light and sound as the whole apparatus imploded. The three scientists slowly stood up, brushing of pieces of debris. They looked at each other and then at the spinning iridescent disk still bathed in light by the laser.
INT.
WOODSHOLE LAB - DAY
Ryan's laboratory at Woodshole was organized chaos. Kristan Hekla and her assistant were collating the birth data coming in from the different tropical locations. Ryan worked at his desk entering data and rendering 3d model projections for the mutation spread. To his left a large flat monitor displayed NOAA's data for sea level and weather worldwide. A brief tone sounded and a smaller video window appeared in the NOAA screen.
" Calaban base video " a pause " please press enter or escape for voice only." The computers flat voice intoned. Ryan tapped the return key and watched the screens Calaban logo fades into Gabriel Hammond's bearded face.
" Good to see you Gabriel" said Ryan addressing the screen.
" Wyn, good to see you too." Replied Hammond
" We've found something unusual along the Honlick Stream. I've got Casey and Carl out taking more samples. It's a kind of crystal; all the analysis we've done suggests a new element. I've sent samples to NOAA. I've got a very strange feeling about this Wyn. I don't think it terrestrial." Wyn looked at Hammond's video image.
" You mean meteoric origin?"
" Not exactly Wyn, probably comet if it has to have a probable source, but that s not exactly what I mean." Wyn felt a tingling at the back of his neck,
" I've looked at this stuff under the scanning microscope and every damn polygonal section is exactly the same. No variance no flaws. It looks manufactured." Hammond said. Wyn stared at the 3d-image display of the crystal, which appeared in a window next to Hammond's video image,
" Could it be a mutation of industrial pollution, some new pollutant we've not seen?" Wyn suggested
" I've thought about that and maybe NOAA's lab will see something we've missed. The real bad news is this stuff magnifies radiant energy. I don't think there's any question this is our number one suspect for global warming." Hammond paused; he looked directly into the camera.
" We need to re-think our whole strategy Wyn, I don't want to sound like a nut case, but this isn't something we spilled into the atmosphere." Wyn smiled thinly.
" I'd never think that of you Gabe. I'll down load what you've got and take a look. This gives me a real scary feeling about the birth mutations, Gabe. I've got to sign off now, we'll keep in touch." Wyn closed the Calaban window and watched the computer complete the download.
EXT-INST. HELIPORT - NIGHT
Wyn strapped in as the chopper lifted and headed south east. Gen. Crawfords adjunct handed him a sealed folder marked 'Alpha, eyes only'. Wyn broke the seal and scanned quickly through the reports key points. A darkness gripped his heart as he read the harsh measures Crawford proposed ; internment for all women carrying mutation 'H' fetuses, encouraged termination of pregnancies. The helicopter banked and he saw the Potomac's huge seawall, a rigid logic against the chaos of nature. As a naturalist he knew what Crawford planned was as impermanent as the seawall. Wyn closed the report as they descended toward the blue lights of the heliport. He had to oppose this plan. For Melinda, their unborn child and for the future, though it seemed a plunge into chaos.
INT-NSA COMMAND CENTER- NIGHT
The pale green Global Display dominated the entire south wall of the NSA command room. President Kinsey, Secretary Webster, Dr. Sturgess and Dr. Ryan watched the display as General Crawford summarized the data.
"For every miscarriage, abortion and death; one of twenty-six are carried to term. These figures are CDC and UNFPA from the last ten day period. As you will note CDC and Dr. Ryans data show all births carried to term take place in the water. Temporary clinics are operating in our coastal cities to handle these births. Plan Alpha will consolidate all efforts under NSA and military control. We face an unprecedented crises for our nation and the world. Within the last 72 hours no non- mutation 'H' births have been recorded. No human births worldwide. Unless we control these pregnancies and the information, we will shortly be in a complete state of social upheaval. Dr. Sturgess added.
"CDC is prepared to offer counseling for all interned women and will encourage termination as the most practical solution to this health crisis." There was an uneasy silence and the President spoke.
"The Republicans will have our heads on platters for this, this is beyond government sanctioned abortion or even draconian Chinese policies."
"On the contrary Mr. President the conservative anti abortion people we've heard from consider these pregnancies an abomination. As for the Chinese and many other less 'humane' nations we have some very disturbing reports. A group of women in southern Mexico gathered for birthing were gunned down by military helicopters. Ghana reportedly has a huge concentration camp where women who enter are never heard from again. Mass suicides of women in Iran have been reported. Shall I continue?" The President looked grim. Secretary Webster spoke, her voice horse with emotion.
"General Crawford your plan is frightening in its rationality and I'm sure this will reassure all those pregnant women whom we separate from their families and 'gently' suggest they abort their fetus for the greater good. Though I agree with you as Secretary of this agency I cannot agree with you as a women. I expect this will be our undoing as a nation." Wyn looked from Adrianne to Crawford and noted the lack of sympathy in the mans face. He stood and looked at each of them before he spoke.
"I must go on record as opposed to this plan. Not only for humane reasons but as a naturalist and scientist. What we're facing is the birth of a new species not a temporary mutation. The Neanderthal was replaced by a new version of humankind. We are not Neanderthal we are more intelligent. We have resources of knowledge and technologies, unimagined by our ancestors. This is a turning point in human history . If we attempt to kill this new species, and let me point out that nature will prevail, we will find ourselves at the end of our time, not the caretakers of greatness, but the last whisper of an angry race. These are our children and they deserve our heritage of wisdom not our crippling ignorance. Reject this plan and use the resources to build coastal nurseries to nurture the newborn and their families. We have always set precedent as a nation." Wyn saw the slight smile on Adriannes face as he sat down.
"That's what I'd expect from the scientific community " said Crawford. "I believe every thing you've reported Dr. Ryan , so much so I'm ready to act ruthlessly to suppress this invasion of 'homocetus' with every resource at our disposal."
"We won't have the luxury of 'humanitarian ' policies toward this species when its prodigy outnumber us a billion to one."
"Well gentlemen, Madame Secretary, thank you for your time and I'll have a decision by 11am." The President said as he stood.
"Dr. Ryan may I have a word with you?" Adrianne asked. They left the chamber and entered the hall leading to her office.
"Wyn thank you for standing up to Crawfords plan. I'm afraid the President has already made up his mind to go with it however. On a more personal issue I know Melinda is pregnant. The General is compiling a data base from all physicians nationwide to use as his 'hit' list. I think you'd better follow your convictions."
She gave his arm a quick squeeze and headed down the hall. The chamber door opened behind him. "Sir your ride is waiting." Wyn turned and followed the adjunct to the helicopter.
INT. - RYAN HOUSE - DAY
Wyn leaned over Melinda and kissed her brow. The first rays of the rising sun casting the room in a golden light. "Min darling wake up we've got to get ready." "Hmmm, ready for what? Come back to bed its too early." Wyn went to the closet and opened the wall safe he pulled out their passports and in the small leather case a set of keys. Melinda sat up and saw Wyn holding the passports and the set of keys. "The meeting went as expected I see." Wyn came over and kissed her full on the mouth and put his arms around her. "Adrianne warned me they'll go with the Generals plan. We've got only a few hours before Crawford finds your name on his data base and has us picked up. He knows I'm against the plan and will want us quiet and in some installation he can control. Oh, he'd make it seem as though he had our best interests in mind. I have an idea that things will come apart pretty quickly when the General tries to implement this plan. The one place where we can have the baby and be safe from Crawford is with Gabe at Calabin Base. The climates changed enough that it won't be to bad this time of year and the base is big and well supplied." Melinda seemed to get her far away stare for a moment. "Antarctica, well, I always wanted to see where the other half of our grant was being used". She looked at the keys in Wyns hand. "It'll be that bad huh?' "Yeah, I thought just to play it safe." Melinda nodded. "Good lets eat something on the move to the hanger. I fueled up this morning after the chopper dropped me off." The phone rang next to the bed. Wyn picked it up cautiously. "Hello? Gabriel! How is it down there? What .. you .. your sure about that. does NOAA have the same data? Jesus.. this explains a lot and leaves us with an even bigger mystery. Yeah, look we should talk more about this but not over the phone.. good you take care I'll be in touch." He hung up and looked at Melinda. "The crystal dust isn't terrestrial. It's also not a natural crystal. It appears to be of an unknown , but artificial origin. We could be closer to an explanation for the Maslin effect, but this evidence has other implications so bizarre I can't even deal with it right now." "Then let's deal with it after we're out of here." Said Melinda. Wyn reached under the bed and lifted the floor panel. He lifted the long metal box onto the bed and opened it with the set of keys.
INT.- NSA COM. RM-DAY
"General here's the most current list and Melinda Ryan's name is there as you thought it would be." Crawford took the list from his adjunct and picked up the phone. "Yes, get me Dr. Ryans office if you would." He looked down the list and saw Adrianne Websters daughters name. "Hello, this is General William Crawford, may I speak with Dr. Wynfield Ryan please? Yes I'll hold." He turned to his adjunct have my car ready, we may be going to Beal after this call. "I see, well can you tell me where I might find him this morning? Thank you, would you connect me?" She thinks he's at the seaplane hanger. Call Beal and get the OD on the line. You'll need a half dozen MPs from the Air Guard station near Woods Hole. I'll keep him on the phone to slow him down if I have to." The adjunct saluted and used the cell phone to get a chopper ready at Beal air base.
INT.- HANGER BAY-DAY
Kristan sat in the cockpit going through the flight check. Melinda finished stowing the gear and supplies. She saw Wyn stashing his Black Ops bag. She had met Wyn after his return from South East Asia and knew a little about his work for the Special Operations unit. Wyn had looked at her for a moment and said 'It was the right job in the wrong war. Wyn came forward and patted Kristan's shoulder. "How's it going?" "All done except for the fight plan. I figure you'd want to deal with that one." She looked up at Wyn a half serious look on her face. "Well, I'd say Nova Scotia and then Thule, Greenland should fill the ticket." He picked up the transmitter and read off the flight plan to the controller at Logan. "Wyn there's a call for you." Melinda called from the back of the hanger. "Its Carol at the Institute she's putting it through." Wyn ran over to the phone. "Yes , Carol who is it?" It's a General Crawford from Washington, I'll put him through." The phone was silent and then a click as the phone was hung up. Wyn slammed the receiver down. "Okay we're out of here. Everything on board. Lets go." He ran up the ramp to the hanger doors opening mechanism.
EXT-MILITARY BASE-DAY
"Yeah he's filed his flight plan. About ten minutes ago. We're nearly there." Crawford's adjunct put down the phone and pointed to the road marked Woods Hole Heliport, Dock. The HumVee took the turn at full speed. The hanger for the seaplane straddled the end of the dock. The HumVee raced onto the dock toward the rear door of the hanger, the distinctive sound of the twin Wright Cyclone radials throttling up came over the dock.
The Humvee pulled to a halt at the rear doors and the MPs leapt from the vehicle and burst through the doors.
INT-HANGER BAY-DAY
The MPs aimed at the Grumman Albatross as it roared into the bay. The adjunct told them to hold their fire. He wasn't about to shoot anyone without direct orders from Crawford.
EXT. - ANTARCTICA - DAY
Carl Drexel and Dr. Hammond stood close together in the roaring blizzard steadying each other against the winds force and the tremors beneath them.
" Okay Doc, I think that's the last of the equipment we'll need.
" Hammond boarded the tractor and Drexel waved to the C-130 as it taxied for take off.. The tractor was only thirty minutes into their four hour journey from the coast when, in a thundering cascade of ice and snow the ice shelf beneath them collapsed, surging into the bay. Drexel gripped his controls as the entire shelf began to tilt upward and slide to the right. The shifting stopped and Drexel, Dr. Hammond and Casey Turner climbed carefully from their tractor.
The wind and snow had eased up and behind them lay a huge chasm where the two mile thick ice shelf had collapsed revealing an ancient granite ridge. Falling ice and rivers of snow cascaded into the abyss, but what caught their attention was the obsidian black building embedded half way up the granite face. Drexel tried the radio in his gloved hand. A roaring screech of pulsing static blasted from the receiver. He switched off the radio and looked at Casey who was scanning the building through a powerful set of binoculars.
"We'd better radio the ship at Wilkens Sound and see if they can send a chopper." Said Hammond. Drexel tried the radio again and was hit with the screeching static.
"It's coming from that structure and whatever it is it's overwhelming all the channels." Hammond looked around and pointed to a shelf of exposed rock to the right of the chasm.
"We can move our tractor over there it looks stable enough." They quickly returned to the tractor and moved in a wide arc toward the shelf avoiding the unstable ice field. Over the rumble of the tractors motor the radio suddenly chattered loudly and a voice broke through, clearly.
" Calabin this is Ariel, do you read, over."
Drexel flipped the switch and said, "Ariel this is Calabin we read you and request emergency helicopter assistance, over."
"Calabin, we've got severe weather and will be grounded for the day, have tried to reach you with urgent message for Dr. Hammond from Woods Hole. Intense radio interference near your 1020, over."
"Copy that Ariel , we're proceeding to lat.12, quadrant six and will set up temporary camp at that 1020. The exposed granite in this quadrant has something artificial embedded in it and we'll need to investigate. It may have been the source of that strong radio interference, over."
"Copy that Calabin, we'll get to you as soon as we can. We've got confirmation on that signal source from ComSat, the signal blasted straight up and knocked out the satellites com-link as it went past. NASA's tracking it for us. We'll be back to you in one hour at 14:30 GMT, over."
"Copy that Areil, over and out." Drexel switched off and looked through the frosted windshield toward the granite chasm with its' enigmatic companion.
EXT. -DOCK. PUERTO DESEADO, ARGENTINA-DAY
The Albatross lay tied up to the dilapidated dock with Melinda and Eryn still on board. They had returned from a failed attempt to find fresh fruit and fish in the village. Wyn had escorted them both along with Jonah into the village to find fresh food and an official to unlock the fuel pumps. The town was almost empty, its buildings partially submerged where the rising sea level had encroached. Above the town in the nearly denuded hills was the camp. They hadn't seen it when they flew in before dawn. It sprawled, twisting through the stumps of trees long gone, along with any prosperity the village may have once had. The cardboard and tin shanties pressed against the high fence of barbed and rusted razor wire. The occupants were gaunt with hunger and disease, all sixty-five of them. Men and boys. Behind the camp, hidden from the harbor and prying eyes, were the women, young and old. They occupied the long, lime filled trenches, the military had prepared for them. It was the solution this part of the world had used to fix the problem with the mutations. The dozen or so military police and their officers occupied the town and kept the once rebellious, angry husbands, fathers, sons and brothers from stopping the process of decontamination. When Wyn had seen the situation he had used his small amount of hard currency to get the Captain of the militia to open the pumps. He had told Jonah to take Melinda and Eryn back to the plane and refuel the Albatross. He asked the Captain if they could use any medicines for the sick. He was standing inside the old police station when he noticed the crates of medicine and canned foods stacked inside the old jail cells, marked with UNAFORE labels. The Captain smiled an ugly smile when he saw Wyn looking at the crates. "Let me see your passport please." He continued his ugly smile and was reaching for his holstered automatic when Wyn took out his own weapon instead of his passport. "Lets have the gun." He took the mans weapon and put it under his belt. "Now the keys, all of them." He pushed him out the back and up to the fence. "Open it." The Captain looked at Wyn with real fear in his eyes. "No, please .they will kill me." He pleaded. "I imagine they might." He pushed the automatic against the mans head and cocked it. "I've seen enough of your kind to last me a life time ." The occupants had been watching and as the Captain opened the gate they surged forward. Wyn raised his hand and gestured to the barracks where the militia were playing dominoes and drinking. No one stood guard. He handed the Captains gun to an older man who looked like he would act responsibly with it. In his sketchy Spanish he told the man to open up the cells where the food was and the gun locker as quietly as possible. The man was on his way inside when the Captain broke away and started yelling. The older man turned and shot the fleeing Captain, dropping him with a single round. All hell broke loose with the prisoners rushing toward the barracks before the guards could respond. Wyn figured this was the time to leave before he put his family in any more danger. He quickly shook the older mans hand and the man held his hand with both of his and blessed Wyn as a saint. Wyn thanked him and made his way around the jail and ran down the street towards the dock. Jonah stood anxiously by the plane looking up the road toward the commotion. Wyn yelled to him and waved his arm in a circle to start the engines. A shot buzzed past his ear, Wyn ducked and looked back up the road. Two of the militia had emerged from this end of the barracks and were taking aim at him and the plane. He slid to the ground and came up crouching with the automatic held in two hands. Two more shots went past one ricocheting of the ground by his foot. He held steady and squeezed the trigger aiming for the shooters chest. The rifle swung up and the man spun backwards with the impact. Wyn kept a steady squeeze on the trigger and hit the other soldier in the knee and shoulder. He stood and ran onto the dock. "Jesus dad you killed those guys." Jonah looked pale with shock. Wyn turned him around and gently pushed him into the plane. He took the controls and gave a thumbs up to Melinda and Eryn who sat quietly starring at him. The Albatross swung into the bay and Wyn quickly got them airborne.
EXT. - ALIEN PROBE - DAY
"Okay, Casey give me about five feet of slack and I'll be on it." Carl spoke into his radio as he eased down the cliff toward the protruding shelf of black obsidian-like material curving out from the cliff face. He touched down keeping his full weight off the surface, not knowing if it would hold him. "I'm down Casey, it seems solid." The sound of his voice felt flat against the dark structure in front of him. A deep chill went up his spine and he felt the hair on his neck rise. 'Jesus what is this place'. He wondered. "Carl, Gabe says your standing on a shelf which has to be four to five million years old. I'm lowering the camera." "There's an opening further into the shelf, we couldn't see from above. I'll wait for the camera and see where this leads." A sprinkling of snow fell as the camera came down the rope. Drexel pulled the line free and turning on the camera, began recording as he walked toward the vertical grooves set back into the rock.
Intrigued?? Contact Stoneham Studios for Extinction, Acts II and III and for Eryn Ryan's personal journal.
