Anthrax Monkey

1. Anthrax Monkey

2. (Preliminary) Cast • Jeff Ryder - (protagonist/male lead) - student • Alaina Lewis - (female lead/Jeff’s love interest) - student • Bernie Bernard - (Jeff’s sidekick/comic relief) - student • Cole Allen - (Alaina’s current flame/antagonist) - student • Dr. Ephraim Allen - (Jeff’s mentor/main (secret) antagonist - faculty • Dr. Delmon Yates - (Alaina’s supervisor/mentor) - Faculty - 1st victim

3. Act I - 1 • Maiden voyage of the floating lab. The most advanced scientific ship ever built. • Built and owned by a private company (with a suitably innocuous, eco-friendly sounding name) in conjunction with a consortium of the finest scientific/medical schools in the nation for the purposes of furthering mankind’s exploration of the sciences and fostering the continued pursuit of scientific achievement by the youths of tomorrow in a fun, dynamic and unprecedented atmosphere - a semester at sea for our finest future scientists. • This will be done mostly in V/O as part of a press release/junket - visually opening on the press conference, but then showing the ship itself - outside first, then inside - with the eager students boarding, the advanced classrooms, the library, computer lab, the cafeteria, the state-of-the-art gymnasium, a squash court, digital golf course, pool, jacuzzi, multiple laboratories throughout, and, of course, lots of hot, young, attractive smart kids. • The ship departs and travels into the wide open ocean - still with the intro persisting over the quick montage. • At each area, we focus briefly on some students, preferably with distinctive faces - so we can kill them later and the audience has a brief sense of who they are - and at several of the locations, we cross shots from the brief subject onto JEFF RYDER - our hero - working out in the gym, determined and strong. Doing laps in the pool - perhaps a set-up for when he has to jump into the water, evading sharks, to save someone? Eating in the caf. - no meat, he’s a dedicated vegetarian. Always by himself - a loner. • By the time this is over, the ship is well out to sea.

4. Act I - 2 • The ship at sea. Students working and learning. • Moving with determination to a remote area of the ship is ALAINA LEWIS - our cute, adorable, smart, vulnerable love interest. She gets to a heavy, electronically locked door with a sign that reads: “Authorized access only.” She swipes her digital key and is about to walk through when Jeff abruptly stops her - shooting daggers. She waits for him to speak, but he’s a rock. She tries to blow him off quickly to get away, but he makes a comment that is somewhat cryptic - but clearly is a source of tension between them - communicating both a sexual tension and an abrasive difference in scientific ethics. • What quickly develops in a modicum of sentences is his clear objection to her study - animal testing. She supports it because her goal is to help humanity, and if it takes experimenting on animals, she can live with that. He returns fire, saying how we spend so much time trying to help people and yet we do more damage than any other species on the planet. She quickly counters how mankind has contributed more beauty, achievement and glory than any other species - and at some point we all have to make a choice. • Before he can retort, she makes a quick comment that she hoped they could have left all this on land and pulls herself away from him -saying she has class - disappearing below.

5. Act I - 3 • Alaina, now below deck in a large, secret, special lab not seen in the opening montage, carries a clipboard and passes across rows of animals, columns of beakers, tubes and all kinds of scientific shit, observing. She passes through into another, even more secret, private room - a glaring sign outside it reading: BIOHAZARD - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY - and in here are a few rows of monkeys in glass cases, each one pocked with breathing holes, each one guarded by a digital keypad. Alaina passes each one, observes and takes notes. She arrives at a final cube - with OUR MONKEY. J.J. His name is listed atop the cube. Alaina stops in front of him and smiles. He smiles back. She asks him how he is. He has a monkey-type basic computer attached to the inside of his ‘cell’. He punches buttons. On a monitor behind her, the picture of a smiley face appears. Then J.J. pushes a few more buttons. On the monitor appears an avatar that resembles Alaina and has a “?” beside it. She looks back at him and responds that she is well. This is one smart monkey. • As she walks by, she passes a thick, glass case attached to the wall with 5 syringes mounted inside, each one filled with an ominous, green, viscous liquid. The sign on the case indicates they are only for emergency. • She makes her way to a nearby cage - with the name DeDe over it. A female monkey. She makes the same motion to DeDe, but Dede just grins. She is not as smart. But - JJ watches them closely. Even when Alaina leaves, he holds his gaze on DeDe. He tries to get her attention, but she’s coy. When she finally notices him she looks away. A tease. • Alaina moves away and accidentally knocks over a small stack of highly polished water bowls that are designed to be replacements for the bowls in each monkey’s cage. She gathers them up and is putting them back on a table when she is called for from the other room. In a hurry, she neglects one bowl that sits opposite JJ’s cage. JJ notices. He sees his reflection in the gleam - he cocks his head, intrigued, making faces to himself.

6. Act I - 4 • A classroom - that looks out the side of the boat through a glass wall - into the ocean itself - obviously several levels below the surface. A small class looks out onto a glorious display of underwater creatures, seaweeds and other cool shit in the crystal blue waters - like a huge aquarium. The teacher spouts some shit about coral reefs and what’s in them and how a team of Swiss scientists has synthesized a more potent liver-cancer treatment from some crap in there. • Jeff listens, taking notes - until he’s distracted by this kid looking over his shoulder. It’s BERNIE BERNARD, the comic relief, who would be creepy if he didn’t seem so harmless and helpless. Bernie clearly wants to be Jeff’s buddy, or at least his lab partner. Jeff isn’t rude, and he doesn’t have a partner anyway, so he agrees. Welcome to the sidekick.

7. Act I - 5 • An outdoor buffet dinner - on deck, the sun setting in the distance. An announcement that they are entering waters off the (distant) coast of Argentina. • Students take in the view, eat finger foods, mill about - Jeff is speaking with DR. EPHRAIM MILLER, his teacher from his class and his mentor. Dr. Miller speaks an avuncular ease and wisdom, discussing the opportunities they have on this voyage and the difference they can make in the world. He excuses himself, leaving Jeff alone - who happens to notice - Alaina by the railing, by herself, taking in the view. He gathers his resolve, clearly trying to be on his best - not wanting a confrontation at such a romantic time - and starts to make his way over there - only to be POUNCED upon - by Bernie - who’s only to excited - he’s like a wound-up monkey himself. Jeff tries to graciously get by, but Bernie can’t take the hint. By the time, Jeff blurts out his intention - he sees - COLE ALLEN, a smooth, cool, preppy jackass - standing beside Alaina. The two disappear into the crowd and Jeff loses them. Alone again.

8. Act I - 6 • The lab below. Alaina is in class, the monkeys visible in the next room. Her teacher, DR. DELMON YATES, is going over safety procedures for the next set of experiments they will be working on. It sounds like standard operating procedure, but obligatory for legal reasons, although the words we hear - ‘deadly viruses’, ‘infectious’, ‘highly contagious’, ‘fatal’, etc. seem to be scary, the attitude of the small class is one of insouciance - so they likely have heard all this before as this portion is simply perfunctory. • In the next room, JJ, watching the class intently from his cell, is trying to mimic the actions of Prof. Yates. No one notices this until Alaina catches sight of it and is amused. She sneaks a little wave at JJ. JJ waves back. He punches buttons on his pad, and on the monitor comes up Alaina’s avatar, a smiley face and a question mark. But no one can see this from the other room. • Alaina looks away. JJ tries to get her attention again, but she doesn’t look. He thinks, notices the digital lock on his cell, then maneuvers his thin tail through a breathing hole and starts tapping on the numbers of the keypad. But it doesn’t open. He was just trying. And he’s frustrated.

9. Act I - 7 • Underwater. Jeff, along with his class, in scuba gear, dance amidst the brilliantly variegated sea life below. Each student has a mini-tv strapped to their wrists, and headphones in their ears. Prof. Miller’s recorded words play over as the students glance from their wrists to a magnificent reef below, following along with this underwater lesson. Bernie clowns around as the lesson ends and the class surfaces to a waiting rubber motorized raft. They take it toward the ship that has cruised ahead of them. • Jeff and his classmates re-board the cruise ship at a ground-level docking station underneath the boat (as if there’s a hollow ‘U’ shape in the back of the boat for just such a small craft to enter, dock and have the passengers disembark. As they do, a heavy, metal door opens in the corner and Dr. Yates exits, talking quietly but fervently on a cell phone. No one really notices - except Jeff, whose curiosity is piqued - until Alaina follows out the door - prompting her mentor to ‘hide’ his conversation, assuring her all is well and to go back inside. Jeff tries to get her attention. He does, but she doesn’t give him a favorable look and swiftly re-enters the lab. Bernie notices, does what he can to assuage Jeff’s bitterness - but is just too awkward to provide anything resembling comfort.

10. Act I - 8 • Simultaneously - Alaina, perched just inside the heavy metal door, furtively listens in on Dr. Yates’s fervent conversation on the phone - catching bits and pieces, -hearing words like ‘violent’, ‘highly intelligent’, ‘virulent strain’, ‘anthrax’. Yates is concerned, but the authority on the other line supercedes him and he has no choice but to reluctantly shut up and hang up. Alaina scurries into a hiding place just as Dr. Yates re-enters, doesn’t see her, and walks inside. Alaina - hearing more than we did - looks scared.

11. Act I - 9 • Alaina is closing up shop, just her and Yates. He tells her to do a weekly cleaning and he will see her up top for the reception. He seems upset and nervous. She asks if anything is wrong, but he insists all is well. • Alaina, in the monkey lab, sprays a thin mist into one of the monkey cages, the monkey is asleep within a minute. She waits, timing it with her watch, then blithely opens the cube and cleans it. • JJ watches her from his cube. She moves onto the next one. • She gets to JJ’s cube, sprays. JJ, lying on his side, eyes her, lets the mist fall on him, but has surreptitiously used the tip of his tail to cover his nose and mouth. He fakes sleep. Alaina punches in the numbers on the outside of his cell, but JJ, peeking through one eye, seeing the reflection of Alaina’s hand in the polished, metal of the water bowl left on the counter, sees her punch in the numbers. She opens the cage and stops, JJ shuts his eyes - did she just see his eyes open? Nah. She cleans his cage - her hand perilously close to JJ - feigning sleep. But she’s very careful - even moreso with him than any of the others she’s done. She’s about to finish, looking at him, so cute and peaceful - he’s clearly her favorite, but she looks at him with - pity almost. She gently caresses his fur - and then BANG! HE SNAPS OFF HER HAND!- no, just kidding - he lets her, and doesn’t move. She closes and locks the cage and moves on. • JJ peeks open one eye and watches the code get punched into Dede’s cage. He watches as Alaina cleans Dede’s cage and moves on.

12. Act I - 10 • A big party/reception on deck, with fake tiki torches and music and food and drinks - if the students have bracelets of course. Jeff is having a drink with Bernie and Dr. Miller and some other students, but Jeff is sneaking a peek out the corner of his eye - Alaina - dressed nicely and looking good enough to eat, chatting up Cole. Cole heads to get a bite, Alaina stands alone. • Jeff downs the rest of his drink and walks over. He’s not drunk - just jealous. He makes some snide comments about Cole, how he’s an ass and a druggie. Alaina, not wanting to discuss it, but also wanting to talk to Jeff about something serious, tries to change the subject. But Jeff, confirming now for the first time, the relationship they used to have, distracts her. She is dragged back into defending herself and brings up what, to her, was the mitigating factor in their semi-recent breakup - he cared more about the work, and disagreed more with her about her scientific views (which he viewed as unethical) than he cared about making a relationship work. Jeff, a hard-headed guy, doesn’t dispute this, but more because he doesn’t want to be viewed as giving in or being weak. • At this moment, Alaina realizes they’ve gotten off topic and she quickly tries to bring up something really important about the lab and potentially dangerous - and she doesn’t know what to do. When he asks why she’s telling him, she;s about to say because he’;s the only one she really trusts, but before she can get it out, Cole returns - and acts like the obnoxious ass he is. • Cole mocks Jeff’s field of study (Medicinal Oceanography), forcing jeff to defend it - b/c Cole makes believe he doesn’t even know what it is (the study of reefs, corals, and deep sea trenches, along with all oceanic life forms for medicinal purposes but without disturbing natural balance of the ocean). Cole mocks this and Jeff, ever the passionate one, starts explaining how smaller organisms and microbes live under the seas in extremem conditions, even boiling waters, and how much we can learn - Cole fake yawns and the two almost come to blows. The dick-swinging contest annoys Alaina who storms off.

13. Act I - 11 • The lab - JJ uses his tail to punch in the code for his cube - it works. The door opens.

14. Act I - 12 • Back up on deck - the night is just crawling in, crowd is beginning to thin and Cole is sneaking a snuff of cocaine in a concealed corner. Judging by his deft maneuvering and paraphernalia, he’s an habitual user. He begins his way back toward the crowd, when he’s stopped by a cute co-ed - she wants something from him, he likes her, peeks at Alaina, sees she’s occupied, and goes off with the co-ed. • Jeff stands by the railing with Bernie who’s yapping in Jeff’s ear, trying to cheer him up, even though he’s not entirely sure what’s bothering him. Alaina cautiously makes her way over and wants to speak to Jeff. It takes Bernie a minute to get the hint and then awkwardly slinks away. • Alaina wants to tell him something, but Jeff is in defensive mode and manages to initiate an argument. She gets defensive, but is mature enough to avoid the conflict and manages to focus on the task at hand. She proceeds to tell him about some dangers lurking in the lab below - experiments that are ongoing with infectious diseases, hyper-sensitive animals, genetically-engineered intelligence in primates - possibly military research going on known only by a select few - all shit she kind of overheard. • As she’s is telling him this, we watch them briefly, but then cut back to the lab - JJ - emerging from his cage. He goes immediately over to Dede’s and punches in her code. That works also as he opens the door - but she’s still asleep. JJ can’t rouse her. He looks around, curious, decides to explore. and we see JJ - rummaging through the lab. Alaina continues, describing how 1 animal in particular - has been engineered to be stronger, faster, smarter - even emotional - almost human. JJ trying various human instruments. Then returning to Dede’s cage and gently carries her out, too eager to wait until she wakes, laying her gently on the table. She can conclude with some rambling gibberish about a ‘hybrid, virulent strain of some kind of advanced anthrax cocktail’, but even she thinks she must have misheard that. • Jeff listens, but he’s slightly intoxicated and still annoyed, blows her off, asking what can he do? Why bother telling him? Why not tell Cole? This pisses her off, and she makes a comment how it was a waste to tell him and storms off……………

15. Act I - 13 • Back in the lab below - JJ carries a (basically) comatose Dede to a vent where they bed down in dark, quiet peacefulness together…for a moment - until a rat appears in the shaft - it gets close to sleeping Dede - JJ rears up takes action - attacking the rat - we don’t see the fight, we just hear the high-pitched sounds of violence, squeals, bones snapping, and pain……..moments later - the rat has been clawed and chewed, blood drains out from every area - it’s head almost completely separated from it’s shoulders, it’s back snapped - the animal is completely mangled and odd-colored pus and fluids drain everywhere…..fade out.

16. Act I - 14 • The next morning. The scientists/students return and find JJ and Dede’s cages open and the monkeys missing. Needless to say - alarm sets in. Prof. Yates, not wanting anyone out of this lab to know, orders the lab sealed and everyone into containment suits. • As they do this, in the vent, JJ sleeps. But Dede wakes - confused by her surroundings, gets nervous and leaps out of the closed vent - into full view of everyone. • Dr. Yates warns everyone to be extremely careful, get into suits before getting near the animal. But Dede is freaking out, jumping and screaming - • Waking up JJ in the vent. He looks down and sees • A couple of the people, led by Yates, closing in on the freaking out Dede. Yates has a needle in hand, about to stick Dede - when JJ leaps out with ferocity and goes berserk - defending Dede, biting, clawing, scratching - without remorse. Depending on how deep the bites are, some die quickly if it’s an artery severed, others slower - but each person reacts with bizarre side-effects - we’re talking spasms, frothing, blood from orifices, - chaos. • During the madness, Dede, still freaked, manages to escape out the door that never got shut. • A couple of the people have dart guns and threaten JJ with them. JJ tries to communicate with them, trying to literally motion a language to them, but everyone’s too afraid. They raise up to fire, but JJ is too quick and smart - outmaneuvering them, and attacking - shredding them. Catching sight of Dede escaping - screeching for her to stop - but she disappears. He follows - killing all in his path, not because he wants to, but because he must get to Dede, and they are impeding him. • During the rampage, the glass case with the syringes cracks open. Three get knocked to the floor and shatter. One falls - doesn’t shatter, but rolls into a corner behind a desk, partially shrouded by overturned equipment. • Alaina, cradling Dr. Yates who has a jugular bite, hides beneath a desk, petrified, trying to be silent. Dr. Yates makes dying gurgling noises, causing JJ to pause, turns, heads back, stands atop the desk where Alaina hides, cupping her hand over Yates’ mouth. Will JJ hear? No, he goes off in search of Dede….

17. Act II

18. Act II - 1 • J.J. escapes the lab, catches sight of DeDe down a corridor - he follows.

19. Act II - 2 • Up on deck, the day has dawned, students mill about, and the ship navigates to a slightly new course. Jeff stands at the railing near the front of the ship - looking out at - dark, clouds on the horizon. A storm is brewing, and the ship is heading right for it. He peeks overboard and sees - dolphins, several of them, pacing the boat. And then Jeff is jumped suddenly by Bernie, scaring him. When jeff wonders aloud why Bernie has latched onto him, Bernie responds with a tongue-in-cheek response implying Jeff is a dark, brooding, dour, loner type and is in much need of someone like himself - a jovial, amusing goofy type. • As they walk toward a main hall, they pass Cole - exchanging sneers. • Cole disappears into a corner and covertly drops a tab and snorts some blow. He feels great and also looks at the water below. He sees the dolphins as well, snorts mucus into his mouth and spits a giant loogie into the water at the animals before walking off. • The ship motors forward into the storm, leaving the dolphins behind. And, just behind the dolphins, pacing them - is a large, menacing dorsal fin - with a tattoo on it that says “Born to Kill’….or, rather, just a distinguishing mark.

20. Act II - 3 • Below decks - in remote control rooms. JJ searches - encountering new and wondrous area he’s never seen before but is intrigued by. He finds a janitor’s quarters and cautiously hops in, taking in the small, room - adorned with cheap porn of almost underage girls, bathroom and vanity area. In the vanity area appears to be a severed head. But, upon closer inspection, is a mannequin’s head. JJ looks at it. He raises a (paw? Claw? Hoof? What do monkeys have?) and tries to communicate with it. Until he hears a noise and scampers into a corner. • The janitor returns from his nightly duties and prepares to relax and perhaps go to bed. He removes an awful toupee and places it on the head of the mannequin, then goes to the bathroom and shuts the door, letting out a loud fart and approving moan. • JJ hops down to the mannequin head and puts on the wig, looking at himself in the mirror - amused. The door opens and the janitor and JJ are both deer in headlights. JJ tries to communicate, but this janitor is a mean bastard, he instantly picks up a broom handle and tries to coax JJ closer. JJ, thinking he’s just communicating back, steps closer, only to receive a violent blow from the broom handle. Uh oh - JJ is pissed. He bears his teeth, uncaps his ferocity and, still wearing the wig, unleashes his fury on a terrified janitor.

21. Act II - 4 • Back in the private lab, Alaina, still cowering in her hiding place, holding her professor’s lifeless body, garners the courage to finally peek out - horrified by the bloodshed left behind. Content she’s safe, she emerges - notices both open cages, heads for a CB on the wall - but it was damaged beyond repair during the chaos. She has no choice but to walk out. She gather her courage, arms herself with a small beaker - as that’s all that’s around - and cautiously leaves.

22. Act II - 5 • Dede crawls through a passageway and finds herself in an empty gymnasium - she notices something on the floor, goes over to it, a banana - tries to eat it - but it’s just a peel littered near the bleachers. She’s hungry. Looks around, runs off.

23. Act II - 6 • Throughout the ship - life goes on: captain helms the steering wheel, or whatever a captain helms, checks navigation charts, acknowledges to his mates there’s no getting around the storm and everyone should make preparations and let people know. • A group of hot students strip down to bathing suits and prepare to sun themselves on the main deck, if even for a short time, complaining how there won’t be much sun for them to bask in on this Saturday - one of the few times they have free time. • Some students prepare to start an aerobics class in a studio. • Some exercise in the gym, some study, or read - etc…a day off for all. • The thunder of the storm lurks in the distance. • Captain radios to the mainland, but it’s staticky - he comments they’re approaching a “intermittent reception area” around the tip of the continent that wont be helped by the weather. • In the water below, it looks nice and clean, a dolphin swimming alone, diving up and down, then - doesn’t surface - for a moment - then blood appears at the surface. The dolphin is gone. But the dorsal fin of the shark continues on…

24. Act II - 7 • Alaina finds an emergency call button in the outer lab, presses it and holds the CB to her ear. • In the control room up top, the red light flashes. An navigator/control room operator picks it up - but Alaina’s voice is garbled. • She tries over and over to say what’s happened and to put out an alert, but - it’s not going through. The wire to her CB has been partially stripped. It’s no use. She throws it down in frustration and continues on.

25. Act II - 8 • The gymnasium. A small group of guys have started playing basketball. They’re cocky and arrogant and talk shit to each other. A smaller, somewhat less athletically inclined boy comes in and asks if he can play. The boys laugh at him, mock him and send him away, perhaps even throwing the ball at him. • The boy sulks and leaves, passing the leftover banana peel. AS he exits, JJ sneaks in from a vent. He spots the peel, smells it - smells Dede - smells the ground near it, picks up the scent - is about to leave when the boys notice him. They are just tickled to find the animal. They get JJ’s attention - and he is eager to talk to them. They make faces. He returns them. But then they start to taunt him, shouting things. JJ’s confused. He picks up the peel, and tries pointing to the door, annoyed his english skills are subpar. They think he’s hungry. One boy actually takes the peel from JJ - mocks him, then hurls the peel into JJ’s face- knocking him over - much to the boys hilarity. JJ is not pleased - he rushes all three of them, ripping into them - the advanced anthrax strain causing them unheard of pain and unseen of (is this a legit phrase? It really should be if unheard of is) physical torture with fluids spewing and flesh melting and all that good stuff.

26. Act II - 9 • Dede emerges into an unused kitchen, picks up the scent of food in the air and heads for a trash can, rummaging through it.

27. Act II - 10 • Alaina emerges into the quiet gym - finds the bodies. Horrified. Continues on.

28. Act II - 11 • In the dining area, Cole, hopped up, is regaling some friends with an obnoxious story. Jeff, seated nearby with Bernie, glares at Cole with disapproval. Cole sees, leans in to his friends, whispers, looks back at Jeff, and all laugh. Bernie tries to restrain Jeff, but Jeff gets up and is about to confront Cole when - • A scream comes from the neighboring kitchen. Everyone rushes in to see a horrified culinary worker pointing to - Dede, perched in a corner, petrified herself, clutching a mostly eaten leftover sandwich. No one knows quite sure what to do. Someone suggests getting a professor, but Cole, wanting to seize the moment, picks up a chef’s knife from a nearby block and declares he’ll handle it. Jeff jumps in front of him - a standoff. Jeff demands to know what he’s going to do. Cole says whatever he has to to get that diseased animal. Jeff tries to defend the animal. Cole says they’re all here for research so it probably has something - better to kill it than let it escape. Jeff says Cole will have to go through him. What to do - as they do the knife-dance Dede sees an opportunity and leaps across the kitchen with a shrill scream. Cole sees and swipes maniacally, but misses - letting Dede disappear out a side door, around a corner and vanishes. • Cole blames Jeff - and says whatever happens is on his head.

29. Act II - 12 • Alaina slides through a door, into a deserted recreation area and a small theater. She hears noises from behind the curtain. Posted on a makeshift message board is a note saying the Scientific Thespian Group will be performing West Side Story that evening - but instead of the Jets and the Sharks it’s going to be the amoebas and the protozoa. Alaina pulls the curtain ever so slowly and sees - JJ - tearing through costume boxes. In his zeal, or just for the hell of it, he is wearing a baseball hat, a dress and holding a pirate sword. He is startled by Alaina’s interruption and instinctually leaps at her, shocking her and knocking her down on the stage, sword poised overhead - until he realizes who it is - then drops the sword and literally smiles at her. She overcomes her fear, looks deep into his eyes - oh, a bonding moment - smiles back. She asks if he’s ok, and he nods. He’s about to speak when a fat, loud, goofy kid from out of nowhere appears, shoveling candy into his mouth as he blurts out he didn’t know rehearsal was starting so early. Then, he gets closer, stops in his tracks, sees them, scared to hell, and chucks his candy at them - hitting Alaina in the head. JJ gets pissed races after him, despite Alaina’s protests and leaps onto fatboy, pulling him down going to town on him, horrifying Alaina by the gruesomeness. JJ starts back to her but hears Dede’s horrifed screech above them somewhere and scampers off in that direction. • All the students, peek overboard, the white seafoam turning red from Dede’s blood, the mob’s lust for blood quenched…..Only Alaina and Jeff and the professors look dismayed…. • JJ - looking as morose as a monkey can, face pressed to the glass, eyeing the now, still waters……fade out.

30. Act II - 13 • Cole and other students are gathered on deck, discussing with faculty members and security the monkey from the kitchen. Jeff stands nearby, watching, as Cole points him out to security. • Rumors are starting to spread - just hints of things here and there. Animal on the loose - could be dangerous - people nervous - adults reassuring everyone.

31. Act II - 14 • JJ emerges from a stairwell onto a subdeck - right outside the girls who were in the aerobics class. He has lost sight of Dede. He jumps up on a railing to get a better view, and catches sight of the girls inside the aerobics room, all their backs to him, doing their moves facing a mirror. From inside, his curiously cocked head can be seen in the reflection - but no one notices him yet. • He stands there, watching the moves, then tries doing some of them, bouncing about on the pole, duplicating the moves the girls are doing in class. • The leader of the class looks, up, catches sight of JJ in the mirror, turns around- • JJ, sensing something - turns, sees what he thinks is Dede and scampers off - just in time - to not be seen by the instructor of the class, who shakes her head - thinking she’s losing her mind, returns her focus to class.

32. Act II - 15 • JJ chases Dede around a corner, up a stairwell and right to the edge of the main deck, where she has stopped, looking out, trying to determine if it’s safe. JJ comes up behind her and calls to her. She turns. He tries to communicate with her, using detailed motions - almost like sign language. But, alas, she doesn’t understand him either. Not human enough for people, too human for other monkeys - he scares her. He takes a few steps forward, she takes a few back. He tries to move closer, but she’s too scared - she scampers out onto the main deck. JJ goes to follow when - WHAP - the door shuts right on him, smacking him in the face, knocking him into a corner of the stairwell, unconscious. • Dede scampers right through the main deck - as the door, finishes closing behind her - apparently just a maintenance worker closing it so he could mop in front of it, never noticing he hit something on the other side - also too perplexed at seeing a monkey running by him. • Dede’s presence startles everyone. Witnesses everywhere. People scream and call, and everyone is staring at her. Chaos as people scatter.

33. Act II - 16 • Cole, in a bathroom, snorting up, hears the commotion and heads out. • Jeff, speaking to security, hears the commotion. • Alaina, just now emerging onto the main deck from an alternate access, hears the commotion and bursts out. • Security chase Dede, who is just freaking out, hopping around everywhere. She leaps into the main control room, bouncing across all the control panels, so nervous she urinates herself, shorting out fuses and gadgets - freaking out control people - some jump away, others try to hit her with whatever they can, computers get smashed, knocked over, wires severed, things flying off the wall.

34. Act II - 17 • JJ wakes, tries to get through the door, locked. Looks around for another route, scampers away. • Down stairs, through a corridor, into a vent - hearing commotion - sensing it - hearing Dede’s high-pitched squeals, trying desperately to get to her. • Dede, back out on deck. - Chased by everyone. Faculty trying to retain control - failing. • Students hearing now how there are bodies, torn to shreds below. Some in the gym. Some in the lab. Rumors flying about in fragments. • Alaina trying to calm whoever she can, saying she knows the monkey and just to let her talk to it. No one listens. • JJ flying around the rooms of the ship, up through other stairwells finally reaching a glass, lookout tower - high above the main deck - but - there’s no exit. He looks below - sees Dede - cornered right near the center of the ship, by the railing, hopping up onto it - barking wildly at anyone who draws near. JJ is freaking, trying to find a way out, not enough time to go all the way back down and around. • Dede - getting shouted at by all. Jeff trying to hold back the angry mob - led by Cole, weilding a fire extinguisher. Alaina trying to talk to them. Word spreading about the death below - Cole rousing people up like a demagogue - the animal is evil, killed students, we can can’t risk it. The faculty - helpless to control anyone. Someone throws a book at Dede, she deflects it. Someone else throws a soda can. She dodges it, but her balance is unsteady. Cole sees an opening - swings the fire extinguished and clocks the shit out of dede - sending her hurtling through the air - to the sea below. JJ - only able to watch from his bird’s eye view in the glass tower - screams to no one - watches as Dede flies - heading for the water - and just before she hits - the shark breaches, mouth open, teeth bared - and chomps right into Dede. JJ wails!

35. Act III

36. Act III - 1 • J.J.’s dark night of the soul - tortured, alone. The storm now upon him as well as the ship.

37. Act III - 2 • Recovery and false assurances among the shaken people on the ship. Everyone is still traumatized but feel secure. People shield their eyes from bodies brought to a sealed room. Officers of the craft try to call for help but Dede’s antics in the control room have knocked out COMMS. The captain and his crew deem it too dangerous to turn exactly toward shore immediately because the worst of the storm is that way. Evacuation is not an option, because they’re too far from shore, and the waters are infested with sharks. They’ll just have to ride out the storm until it passes - somewhere around dawn they expect - and then head for shore.

38. Act III - 3 • Alaina and Cole, off in a corner, yell at each other in hushed voices - she thinks he overreacted. He thinks she’s soft. He took action and did what he felt was necessary. He thinks she should consider him a hero. She disagrees. He blows her off and says that if she doesn’t appreciate what he did there’s plenty of other girls on board who think he’s a hero. And he storms off. • Jeff, watching from a distance, waits until Cole is gone before approaching. She isn’t in the mood for crap from him too now, but he remains relatively calm - probably because he just witnessed their ‘breakup’. He wonders aloud how she ever got involved with a jackass like that. She counters that she was looking for someone the opposite of Jeff. She says that Jeff was so married to the ocean and his work, and so antagonized her about her own scientific principles that he neglected her. He neglected their relationship. Put the work ahead of them. He doesn’t deny this, but still wonders why Cole. She says she overcompensated. Somehow, this doesn’t comfort Jeff. He says he doesn’t know how he can feel about her anymore - basically because she picked such a shitty guy, and really only to get as far away from Jeff as possible. So, he walks away, despite her desire to be around him now at such a trying time.

39. Act III - 4 • JJ, sick of feeling sorry for himself, gathers his resolve, builds up his fortitude and looks out from his glass cell overlooking all. He knows what he must do. Vengeance! • He looks below and sees - Cole - the ringleader, heading into a room. JJ rears back, lightning crackling in the dark skies beyond, and shrieks out his barbaric war cry!!!! It’s ON!

40. Act III - 5 • Cole locks himself in a private room, lightning flashing in there from the glass skylight above…He empties out a huge pouch of coke on the table. He thinks, then empties out a small bottle with clear liquid and pours it over the coke, mixing it all together - oh, this is gonna be potent! He takes a small straw and starts - it’s very strong and even an addict like himself has to step back quickly. But he dives right back in, not seeing - the subtle silhouette that flashes down over him from above - JJ - eyes fierce, paws clenched, perched atop the skylight. With a clap of thunder JJ musters all his strength and crashes through the window, landing right on the table. Knocking Cole back - shock and fear in his eyes….JJ stands there, glaring - teeth bared - and then - the attack. It’s violent and bloody and Cole does his best but JJ toys with him, torturing him, ultimately getting Cole collapsed on the floor - alive but beaten and begging for mercy - and JJ will show none. He turns around, wraps his tail around Cole’s neck and strangles the life out of Cole’s writhing body - flailing everywhere, eyes popping, turning blue - until he finally dies…JJ reaches his paws to the heavens! Vengenace is his! He trashes the room - just for the hell of it. But stops to ponder the white mountain of powder on the desk. He sees the straw, tries to inhale it, but his fingers are too clumsy to maneuver the straw. Frustrated - he throws the straw aside and slams his whole face into the mountain! SNUFFFFFF! YARRRRRR! BACK FOR MORE!!!!!

41. Act III - 6 • Students are huddled in groups, consoling each other, most inside as the storm is now hitting the ship. Power is limited due to damage. Some people hold candles. Crying is heard. A few students and faculty gather the last of the bodies they can find and put them in the storage area. • Alaina finds Jeff in a corner, flanked by Bernie. She asks if it’s okay to stay with him. Jeff lets her. • People comment that they’re just glad it’s over. The worst is over….

42. Act III - 7 • JJ lifts up his head from the desk - his face covered in powder, his eyes red as blood, her brain racing - he is no longer the cute JJ with whom we have come to empathize. He is gone. Dead. All that’s left is: ANTHRAX MONKEY! And he is going to take no prisoners!

43. Act III - 8 • In short - JJ goes on a crazed rampage. No rhyme. No reason. Killing indiscriminately. People can run, they can hide - but all efforts at escape are futile. The fear and chaos that ensue when they realize the monkey is still loose - and appears to be much more ferocious than the last - is palpable. A few brave souls make the mistake of trying to corner JJ or capture him - they die horribly. All one can do is pray…. • Rampage • Rampage

44. Act III - 9 • Jeff, Alaina and Bernie find themselves hiding in a room, drained and scared. • Here is where she chooses to let them in on exactly what JJ is - genetically engineered to be smarter, faster, stronger, deadlier, even more emotional - like a person. And, of, he has anthrax. She’s not sure how he got it, whether it was intentional or accidental. • She mentions his name - and says she named it after Jeff. “You named a psychopathic, disease-infected, homicidal monkey after me? That’s sweet.” “he wasn’t homicidal when I named him.” • There’s a commotion just outside, Jeff cracks the door barely - and sees Prof. Miller cornered by JJ. He cant have it - he leaps out, despite the protests of Alaina and bernie. He grabs something - waving it, trying to get JJ away, managing to keep him at a distance, but JJ is too quick, he out maneuvers Jeff, knocking him down, but before he can strike, Prof. Miller hits him with something. He turns his attention to the professor and strikes. Nails him - bite to the gullet. • He turns his attention to a prone Jeff, but Alaina has emerged and calls out his name. He turns, sees her and freezes - his eyes, different now, but he senses her, he recognizes something. She slowly approaches, scared like hell, but giving it a shot. She extends her hand, in peace - JJ contemplates - but no, he is gone now. He bites her hand! She screams and rolls away. Before he can finish the job, a huge wave tosses the boat and he gets thrown all the way to the other side. Jeff rushes to her. The first signs of anthrax are already beginning to show. He drags her into the room they had been in. Bernie drags in Prof. Miller too, shutting the door. Jeff is helpless as she lays unconscious from the shock - slowly dying from the disease.

45. Act IV

46. Act IV - 1 • Back up on deck, JJ wildly scampers from person to person. Two screaming coeds try to run away, one falls, hurts her knee. JJ targets her - launches himself into the air - flying at her. At the last moment her friend tugs her away, JJ misses and goes sailing into a stairwell. As he does, 2 nearby people manage to shut the door behind him, sealing it. • JJ turns and tries to get out, but the door shuts on him - too late. • Outside they comment that they have it sealed in. Thru that passageway there’s no other way back out on deck. So long as they keep the door shut, they all live.

47. Act IV - 2 • JJ slams himself against the door repeatedly - not budging the door at all - until he gets exhausted…he looks around for another way out - scampers away.

48. Act IV - 3 • Bernie kneels over the dying Dr. Miller - apparently not dead yet. He tries to speak - bernie leans in closely. He calls Jeff over, but Jeff doesn’t want to go. He tells Jeff that Dr. Miller is mumbling something about an antidote. Jeff lays Alaina down carefully and insists he’ll be right back. He goes over and listens as: • Dr. Miller proceeds to, painfully, outline the fact that, if the wounds themselves arent fatal, then the anthrax can be cured with an antidote. The anthrax itself is encephalic anthrax - attacks brain, spine and central nervous system - more virulent than any strain before - anthrax used to kill in days or weeks, now it kills in minutes. ((THIS IS ESSENTIAL to move earlier - this is in the wrong place)). He describes the irresponsibility that permitted this to happen. (this is out of place also - should be earlier, too contrived to explain now and it kills tension). Jeff ponders the theme: “Why here and now? What would possess people to-?” “Because - this floating lab represents the pinnacle of scientific achievement. The knowledge and awareness we have garnered throughout the centuries has culminated here. Now. The greatest scientific minds in the world. If mankind cannot entrust US to act accordingly – then who can be trusted?” (THIS EXPLANATION needs to be before this scene - perhaps in A3 - before Dr. bitten and dying - as they hide). • Then, he says, much more importantly, there are syringes below with antidotes for the poison. They are in the lab - a panacea for all diseases any of the lab animals had. He can still save Alaina - but he needs to get to the lab. Then he dies.

49. Act IV - 4 • JJ has found another door and is trying to get through it - but to no avail. He cannot find a way out. He’s tired now. No one left to kill. He leaves the door and sulks away. • He returns to the lab from whence he came - plants himself on a table, stares somberly into Dede’s empty cage - and a tear comes to his eye. • Just beyond him - hanging on the wall - is a single syringe with the antidote left.

50. Act IV - 5 • Jeff, carrying Alaina, with bernie in tow, carefully slink out the room and head toward the door that leads to the lab below - but it’s guarded by several people. When Jeff says he needs to go down there, they wont let him. The killer monkey is trapped behind this door, and it’s too dangerous. Even though they don’t hear anything now, it could be lying in wait. Jeff says just to peek in, see if the animal is there, if not he’ll slide through and they can shut it behind him. They shoot that down too - not worth the risk. Only way to ensure survival is to keep door shut until they reach shore. Jeff argues that Alaina is dying. They feel better to protect all their lives than to lose this one. Jeff tries to force his way through, but there’s too many of them. Jeff has to find another way in.