“Entropy” August 1, 2000 TEASER EXT. FOREST – NIGHT Two REPUBLICAN GUARD, in uniform. SERGEANT They have to be here somewhere. Their whereabouts were pinpointed to this location. PRIVATE That would mean something if… He stops when he sees the Sergeant’s look. PRIVATE You’ve heard the stories. SERGEANT There’s no room in battle for fairy tales, Private. The Private doesn’t look any less scared for the advice. They continue to move through the forest. The Private sees a STRANGE BLUE GLOW. PRIVATE Um, sarge? He points at the light, which FADES and WINKS OUT. SERGEANT Interference. The Private doesn’t look convinced. SERGEANT What? You think it was a UFO? Humiliated, the Private can’t reply. SERGEANT If that’s the case, where’s the little green alien men from the moon, Private? The Private looks down, biting his lip. SERGEANT Stupid kid. He turns away and runs smack into the REBEL. In clothes tattered and torn, the Rebel is gaunt and pale, a frightening, unexpected sight. The Sergeant pulls his gun, but the Rebel only smiles. REBEL That will do you no good here. The Sergeant blasts him anyway. The Rebel continues to smile as the bullets PASS THROUGH HIM easily. REBEL Come with me. He beckons and turns. The Private’s eyes are huge, on the Sergeant, waiting for orders. SERGEANT Got to be a hologram. A trick. But this is what we’re looking for. They follow the Rebel. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT Tents, in poor condition. Some have holes; others flap where they’ve lost their tent pins. The Rebel leads the soldiers into the center of camp, an open square marked out in the dirt. He gives them a deep look. REBEL Pray. He DISAPPEARS as though he was never there. The Private freaks, falling to his knees. PRIVATE I don’t want to die! The Sergeant smacks him in the head, hard. SERGEANT Get hold of yourself. But the BLUE GLOW has returned, brighter, stronger. The Sergeant’s mouth opens in surprise. The glow intensifies, so strong we can see the men’s’ shadows on the ground. It FLASHES. The Sergeant and the Private are frozen in their positions, now reduced to charred bone, burned black. As we back away from the scene, we see their shadows burned into the square…along with the shadows of many other people. ACT ONE INT. BAR – NIGHT A DRUNK, at the bar, telling a story to the BARTENDER, who is barely humoring him. DRUNK They sucked the information from those men’s brains. And then, the very next night, without warning, they struck an encampment of Santiago’s soldiers. Killed every last one of them. Took their skin clean off. Sitting in a booth near the end of the bar, not far from the drunk, are PINOCCHIO, HOBBES and FLORENCE. Pinocchio groans and rolls his eyes. Hobbes is looking at the drunk in earnest. Hobbes makes a move to get up but Pinocchio grabs his arm. Hobbes glares at him. HOBBES What if it’s true? PINOCCHIO It’s an urban legend. That story’s been circulating since the day they pressed the start button on this godforsaken place. INT. COUNCIL ROOM, GOVERNMENT HOUSE – NIGHT SANTIAGO and his ADVISORS around the table. A MAJOR stands in the center of the room, giving his report. MAJOR We lost two men last night. As far as we can tell, they went into the forest and then their signals were lost to us and their virtual characters ceased to exist. They were investigating the rebel cult believed to be hiding in that sector. He looks to Santiago. Santiago is considering. SANTIAGO The two men were alone, facing such a dangerous threat? MAJOR Ah, yes sir. SANTIAGO Then you won’t go alone, will you Major? MAJOR (uncomfortable) No sir. INT. BAR - NIGHT HOBBES We’ve both seen things. Strange things. There’d be no explanation for them in the real world, but here – PINOCCHIO Think about it, Hobbes. If every one of the soldiers died, who told their skin was removed? Pinocchio thinks he’s got him, but Hobbes grins slowly. HOBBES The people who did it. Florence looks at Pinocchio: the kid’s got a point. HOBBES What if it’s true? If they can take Santiago? Pinocchio rolls his eyes. PINOCCHIO Can’t be done. HOBBES Are you saying Santiago can’t be killed? INT. COUNCIL ROOM – NIGHT Although expectant eyes are upon him, the Major remains in place. MAJOR What exactly is the objective with regard to these Rebels? Santiago is beginning to become annoyed. SANTIAGO End their reign without mercy. Bring their leaders to me – alive. MAJOR But, sir, the danger they present – SANTIAGO Is of no consequence to you. The Major frowns. SANTIAGO If you fail, Major, it means your death. Not mine. INT. BAR - NIGHT Pinocchio just looks away. Takes another drink. HOBBES Isn’t it worth finding out? PINOCCHIO What makes you think they’d help us anyway? HOBBES What makes you think they won’t? Hobbes gets up, Florence following. Pinocchio finishes down his drink and trails after them. PINOCCHIO I like my skin where it is. EXT. FOREST – NIGHT The trio, moving stealthily. Pinocchio gets a sense of something that makes him uncomfortable. Looks over his shoulder, then all around, frowning. HOBBES What is it? Pinocchio looks up. A blue light is outlining the tree branches overhead. HOBBES St. Elmo’s Fire. It’s a good omen. Divine intervention. Pinocchio looks at Hobbes. PINOCCHIO You believe everything you read? Florence shivers, looks unhappily at the phenomena as it grows more intense. PINOCCHIO It’s a bad sign. Electrical discharge building up. HOBBES Just means a storm’s coming. PINOCCHIO Yeah, but what kind of storm? EXT. FOREST – NIGHT The Major has a full squadron of men and two Humvees. The men stand around, some of them looking for evidence, some keeping watch. MAJOR This is where they disappeared? PRIVATE Yes, sir. The Major looks around. MAJOR With no trace. I don’t like it. PRIVATE There wouldn’t have been any trace – The Major’s look silences him. The Private nods and returns to his business. As the bustle continues around him, the Major happens to look up, and he, too sees the blue glow of St. Elmo’s Fire, only more distant. He frowns at it, then turns his back. MAJOR This way. He extends his arm, pointing away from the disturbance. The men look at him and scramble. He glances over his shoulder to see the disturbance disappear behind them. EXT. FOREST – NIGHT HOBBES Their camp has to be around here somewhere. He looks to Pinocchio, who seems utterly uninterested. HOBBES (low voice) What else do you know about them? PINOCCHIO Santiago’s not afraid of them. HOBBES Then why has he left their camp alone, even after they killed his men? PINOCCHIO Because they didn’t do it, Hobbes. And sometimes it’s better just to leave these things alone. It’s a nice story. Santiago, he ain’t scared of stories. HOBBES Tell me the rest. Why Santiago doesn’t take them seriously. Pinocchio sighs and stops walking. PINOCCHIO They’re kids, okay? Hobbes just looks at him. PINOCCHIO Supposedly they were there, at ground zero, in New York, when the bomb went off. Somehow they survived. Or so goes the legend. He shrugs, not buying it. HOBBES A rebel army is taking orders from kids? PINOCCHIO Still sure you want to stick your neck out to find ‘em? There is a rumbling, growing louder, like thunder. Hobbes flashes a grin at Pinocchio. HOBBES Told ya a storm was coming. PINOCCHIO And there still ain’t a cloud in the sky. Florence and Hobbes both look up. No clouds. Just stars. Hobbes looks at Pinocchio’s grim expression as the rumbling continues, growing louder. The ground jerks, shaking hard. They are barely able to remain standing. HOBBES Earthquake? PINOCCHIO I don’t think so. EXT. FOREST – NIGHT The Major and his men, trooping in between close trees. The RUMBLING catches them by surprise. Tree branches fall. MAJOR Aftershock. Keep moving. One of the men looks back and notices the blue glow in the trees. CORPORAL Major! Over there, look! We’re going the wrong way. Now all of the men have seen it. The Major looks unhappy as they are forced to reverse their direction, moving toward the intensifying blue glow. EXT. FOREST – NIGHT HOBBES Why not? PINOCCHIO Ever been in an earthquake? Hobbes just looks at him. PINOCCHIO I grew up in California. Was stationed in Japan. Trust me. That ain’t no earthquake. HOBBES Then what was it? PINOCCHIO Ain’t a fault line around here for hundreds of miles. HOBBES (louder) Then what was it? PINOCCHIO Believe me, kid, you don’t want to find out. He begins walking again, and Hobbes looks to Florence. She follows, still looking uneasy. Hobbes looks downright unhappy. HOBBES Why can’t you ever be straight with me? Give me an honest answer? PINOCCHIO Maybe I’m trying to develop your mind. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT Hobbes, Pinocchio and Florence emerge from the tree into the military camp. Pinocchio stops short, a look of horror on his face. HOBBES What -? Then he sees. In the open center square, the scorched bodies of NINE REPUBLICAN GUARD. The bodies are still smoking. Hobbes starts to rush toward them, but Florence catches his arm, stopping him. He looks at her, surprised by this. HOBBES What happened to them? PINOCCHIO Obviously they were killed by supernatural powers. Pinocchio has turned around, looking into the tops of the trees. Listening. No glow, no rumbling. PINOCCHIO It’s stopped. (beat) For now. He casts a sidelong look at the burned bodies. PINOCCHIO We should be safe for the moment. Florence lets her bag slip down from her shoulder. But Pinocchio spoke too soon, as they are SURROUNDED BY REBELS. Hobbes reaches for his gun. PINOCCHIO Don’t. Hobbes lowers it reluctantly. They and the rebels just look at one another. ACT TWO Resume: EXT. CAMP – NIGHT After a moment, the Rebels begin to move the charred bodies away. The GAUNT REBEL from the teaser approaches Hobbes, Pinocchio and Florence. HOBBES What happened to those men? The Gaunt Rebel glances at him. GAUNT REBEL They were Santiago’s men. His eyes flick over their clothing. GAUNT REBEL You are not. You’re like us. Against him. You are welcome here. He extends an arm toward the camp, inviting them in. EXT. FOREST – NIGHT POV SHOT: Some distance away, we are watching the Rebel lead Pinocchio, Hobbes and Florence into the camp. Reverse on: The Major. His face dirty, his expression tight. Those were his men who died. And now he is hiding in the forest. Alone. INT. CAMP BUILDING – NIGHT A long table, covered with a pristine white cloth. Compared to the surroundings, the cloth practically glows. It has no holes. The Gaunt Rebel leads Pinocchio, Hobbes and Florence into the building. They look around themselves. The Rebels are gathered around the table. Some of them are cleaning their weapons, assembling ammunition, preparing themselves. There are a couple of families, fathers or mothers with children. A TIRED WOMAN catches Pinocchio’s eye and they look at each other for a long moment before she purposely looks away. A rebel moves in and sets bowls of stew down at the end of the table, in front of the Gaunt Rebel and our trio. Hobbes looks at the food, then to Pinocchio. The Gaunt Rebel puts his hand on Hobbes’ shoulder, and pulls out a chair for him. GAUNT REBEL Eat. Hobbes isn’t so sure. PINOCCHIO I thought we were your prisoners. GAUNT REBEL We take no prisoners. He sits down and is served a heaping bowl of stew. It’s filled with vegetables. He smiles at them, and takes a steaming bite. Hobbes, Pinocchio and Florence look to each other, none of them decided. Finally Hobbes sits down. He scrapes the spoon through the soup in the wooden bowl, looking for anything untoward. Pinocchio looks around. Food is being served all around. People are eating without fear. The Tired Woman is eating. She glances in his direction, and nods: It’s okay. Pinocchio picks up the spoon and eats, shoveling it in. Starving. Hobbes and Florence follow suit. The door to the building opens and an immediate hush falls over the room. All sound ceases, everyone puts down their spoons. It takes our heroes a moment to notice and then they look up, too. Standing in the doorway is a pair of BOYS. They are thin, lithe, almost ethereal in their beauty. They are twins, twelve years old, mirror images of each other. Despite this, LEON seems stronger and more willful than NOEL, who wears a peaceful expression on his face. As they sweep into the room, heads bow. They stop at the center of the table, standing directly behind the Tired Woman. LEON Give thanks! Those with their heads bowed begin whispering to themselves, a prayer for the meal. One of the Rebels pulls up a pair of chairs for the boys. Leon sits down, but Noel sits in the Tired Woman’s lap, winding himself around her neck as they are served. PINOCCHIO She’s their mother. Hobbes looks at him, surprised by his perceptiveness. Pinocchio notices the look. PINOCCHIO Keep your guard up. Finished with his food, he shoves the bowl away and reaches for the pile of ammunition toward the center of the table. The Gaunt Rebel is there immediately. GAUNT REBEL That’s not for you. Pinocchio looks at him, one eyebrow raised: oh yeah? PINOCCHIO (eyes on the kids) I want to talk to them. Your leaders. GAUNT REBEL They talk to no one. HE turns away. Pinocchio grabs his arm, and the Gaunt Rebel gives him a warning look. GAUNT REBEL I’ll show you where you may make your camp. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT The Gaunt Rebel leads them to the tent at the far edge of the camp, right next to the square. He opens the flap. GAUNT REBEL I trust you’ll be comfortable in here. He leaves the door open and walks away, leaving the trio alone. INT. TENT – NIGHT It’s a good-sized tent, equipped with cots that have warm sleeping bags. A small oil lamp burns in the center of the tent, throwing shadows onto the walls. Hobbes throws his stuff down on the middle bed, flops down comfortably. Florence is a little more cautious. Pinocchio lingers at the tent flap, squinting to see through a tiny gap. PINOCCHIO I don’t like it. HIS POV: The camp. Guards patrol, heavily armed. HOBBES Will you stop saying that? They fed us. We have a place to sleep, on beds, with a roof over our heads. Why can’t you accept that these people want the same thing we do? PINOCCHIO I’m not so sure. He gives Hobbes a hard look, then sits down on the bed closest to the door. PINOCCHIO You didn’t find something odd about those kids? HOBBES They’re twins. Pinocchio looks at Florence. PINOCCHIO Florence knows what I mean. She nods. PINOCCHIO Something just ain’t right there. He gets up again, peeking out. PINOCCHIO I’m gonna find out what it is. He slips out of the tent. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT A moment later, Hobbes emerges from the tent, looking for Pinocchio. No one is there. A second later, he notices the twins. Noel sees him, and nods to him invitingly. With a backward glance at the tent, Hobbes goes over to them. EXT. FOREST BEHIND CAMP – NIGHT Pinocchio, tracking someone through the woods. PINOCCHIO Hey. The figure turns, startled. It’s the Tired Woman. She looks at him, then continues on her way. Pinocchio follows. EXT. FOREST STREAM – NIGHT The woman comes to a shallow stream and kneels by it, holding the bucket she carries in the stream to fill it. Pinocchio kneels next to her. He picks up a handful of water and rubs it on his face and neck. PINOCCHIO You’re their mother. She gives him a hard look. TIRED WOMAN Yes. PINOCCHIO (conversationally) Must be a hard job. Mother of twins. TIRED WOMAN (oddly) Not always. She looks at him. TIRED WOMAN What do you want? PINOCCHIO You’re planning to take out Santiago. TIRED WOMAN No. PINOCCHIO Your sons are. TIRED WOMAN You can’t imagine their plans. Not even in your worst nightmares. She starts to get up, and he catches her arm. She glares at him. He eases the bucket from her grasp. PINOCCHIO I’ll carry that for you. Hesitant, she lets him take it. PINOCCHIO Why are you afraid of them, if they’re just kids? TIRED WOMAN Why do you think they can help you? They start back to camp. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT Noel and Leon are sprawled in the dirt, kneeling over something. Leon’s eyes are intent with interest. Hobbes looks around cautiously, but there are no guards. Noel’s eyes are on him. HOBBES Hey. Whatcha got there? Leon snaps closed a thin hardcover book and moves his body protectively in front of it, his eyes dark and fiery. HOBBES Secret stuff? LEON Don’t patronize us. NOEL It’s a storybook. Hobbes sits down with them in the dirt. HOBBES Oh, yeah? Which one? The twins exchange a look. HOBBES Can I see? Noel shakes his head, lips tightly closed. HOBBES Okay. That’s fine. A bit of awkward silence. HOBBES Must get pretty lonely out here sometimes. You must feel lucky that there’s two of you. LEON Yeah. Lucky. NOEL Is that…is the other man with you your brother? Leon glares at him angrily for daring to speak, for being interested. Hobbes smiles at the thought. HOBBES No. He’s my…he’s my friend. We’re soldiers. We’re trying to raise an army, like the one you have here. We want to defeat Omar Santiago. (beat) What are you fighting against? LEON We want freedom. Hobbes nods. HOBBES That’s what everyone wants. LEON Not Santiago. HOBBES You know him. Leon’s eyes are dark. Noel nods, pressing close against his brother. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT At the opposite end of the camp, Pinocchio and the Tired Woman emerge from the woods together. The Tired Woman turns to Pinocchio for one last statement. TIRED WOMAN What my sons are doing…believe me, you don’t want to be involved. She hurries into her cabin. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT Leon looks in the direction of the other end of camp, and sees the exchange between Pinocchio and his mother. Sees them together. The intensity of his stare makes Hobbes look and he sees Pinocchio slipping back into the tent. HOBBES How do you know Santiago? Leon shoves the storybook into Noel’s hands, and the two of them get to their feet simultaneously. Leon propels Noel toward their tent, without a word. NOEL (turning back to Hobbes) Bye. INT. TENT – NIGHT Hobbes goes inside. Florence is on the bed farthest from the door, lying on her side, head propped up. Alert. Pinocchio lounges on his cot, arms folded behind his head. HOBBES What’s going on? PINOCCHIO Missed ya. HOBBES You’re the one who took off without any warning. PINOCCHIO Get anything out of the kids? Hobbes sits down, angry. HOBBES I was starting to, until they saw you come back. For some reason that scared them off. Pinocchio’s smug expression turns to a frown. PINOCCHIO Their mother warned me not to get involved. HOBBES They saw you with her. PINOCCHIO Must have. HOBBES Do you think they’ll… He trails off – it’s silly. PINOCCHIO They’re just kids. He puts out the lamp. PINOCCHIO Go to sleep. But his eyes remain open and worried in the darkness. INT. SANTIAGO’S OFFICE – NIGHT Santiago, working at his desk. He has pencils and ruler, a geometrical compass and a series of maps. At first it seems as though he is setting out a battle plan. Then we see he’s drawing. The door to his office opens unexpectedly and his head comes up. The MAJOR slinks in, filthy, ragged. SANTIAGO You’re unannounced, Major. The Major nods, his throat working, looking for words. He glances at the desk. Santiago makes no move to cover his work. His glare does the job for him. MAJOR My squadron – all lost. Killed. By the Rebels. SANTIAGO Sit down. We have much to talk about Major. He motions to the chair and the Major sits down gratefully. Santiago also takes his seat, looking to him expectantly. MAJOR They have power. Strong power. Supernatural ones. There was a blue glow. A rumbling in the trees. I could feel their energy snapping. And then…the men… SANTIAGO Were you captured, soldier? MAJOR No sir. They were killed instantly. SANTIAGO Your entire unit is killed and yet – here you are. Guilt crosses the Major’s face. MAJOR I don’t know why I was spared. SANTIAGO (threatening) I suggest you find out, sir. And quickly. He returns his focus to his work on the desk in front of him. The Major rises from his chair uncertainly, starts toward the door, where he hesitates. MAJOR There is one more thing. Santiago glances up, unamused. MAJOR Pinocchio. And Hobbes. SANTIAGO Make sure they’re taken care of, Major. As you took care of your men. The Major nods and goes out, closing the door firmly behind him. Santiago snaps his pencil in half, the rage not reflected in the expression on his face. INT. TENT – NIGHT The twins lie together in the same cot, arms and legs tangled in an innocent sibling embrace as they sleep. The Tired Woman enters the room, silently. A worried expression on her face. She walks over to the children, smoothes the blanket over them in a motherly way. She’s making sure they’re asleep. She turns and picks up the storybook from the floor. She leans against the tent pole, glancing through it. Leon’s eyes open, watching her with a dark, hard expression. The Tired Woman’s eyes are sad as she turns the pages of the book. Black and white photography. Horrible images, of burned cities, of destruction and war, of people with their skin burned directly off. A crisp, clear black and white photograph of the fiery mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb. She stares at it for a long, long moment, then looks at her children, sadness in her eyes as she closes the book and holds it against her chest. Leon is staring at her. She looks back at him, resigned. EXT. CAMP – NIGHT The armed patrol. They have the Tired Woman by the arms, dragging her to the end of the row of tents. She does not resist. The twins, solemn-faced in white nightclothes follow them. The mother looks back at her sons. The patrol lead her into the square, then look at Leon and Noel. Noel’s mouth is pursed, like he wants to be sucking his thumb, as he presses against his brother in his habitual way, looking for comfort. Leon nods. The guards force the Tired Woman to her knees, tying her hands behind her. They secure the rope to a wooden pole and step back and away, leaving her there, helpless. Her head hangs down, an acceptance of her fate. The twins remain there. The blue light begins to glow around the edges of the square, and the rumbling comes. Noel hides his face in Leon’s shoulder. Leon watches. We see the reflection of the blue glow, the intense flash of light, and the poof of smoke in Leon’s eyes. Now the Tired Woman is nothing but a charred body. Her position looks like one of prayer. ACT THREE INT. TENT – DAY Light filters through the canvas walls of the tent. Florence leans over Pinocchio, shaking his shoulder gently. He groans and opens his eyes sleepily. PINOCCHIO Just ten more minutes. He starts to roll over and snuggle back into the bed. Florence shakes him harder. He rolls his eyes at her. PINOCCHIO A guy just can’t catch a break with you, can he? Then he sees the serious look in her eyes and gets up quickly. EXT. TENT – DAY Florence steps out into the bright sunlight, leading the way. Their tent is right next to the open square. He sees the body. PINOCCHIO Burned alive. He looks at Florence, who nods once. PINOCCHIO It’s the only way she didn’t digitize. Carbonized before she took her last breath. Pinocchio walks over to the body of the woman, looks at the way her hands are tied to the stake. PINOCCHIO Get Hobbes. Florence goes to get him. Pinocchio surveys the land, walking in a wide circle around the woman, looking at the ground. He bends down, touching the hard, smooth ground, frowning, his mind working. Then he returns to the body and touches it lightly, flaking off a bit of ash and rolling it between his fingers. REBEL GUARD Stop right there! He takes a deep breath, knowledge in his eyes, and straightens up. He turns around and sees the Guards pointing their guns at him, the twins standing off to one side. Noel’s pale face is streaked with tears. Hobbes emerges from the tent in time to see this: Pinocchio standing next to the dead woman. Pinocchio puts his hands up, and the two Rebel Guards grab him, moving him off. LEON For the brutal murder of our mother, this man will be executed at sunset. Pinocchio’s eyes catch Hobbes’ as the guards march him past. There is doubt in Hobbes’ eyes. EXT. JAIL CELL – DAY The jail is nothing more than a pit dug at the outskirts of the camp. The Rebel Guards force Pinocchio in. His expression is grim. The space is small and he hugs his knees to his chest. The Guards set a notched wooden grid, almost like bars, over the top of the pit and weight it with stones, locking him inside. Pinocchio hits the bars with his hands, but he can’t get enough leverage in the cramped space to raise them, and the stones are large and heavy. One of the guards sits down in a chair nearby, his gun across his lap. Pinocchio grunts as he hits the bars again. The guard rises from his chair and stands on top of the bars until Pinocchio is quiet. The guard steps away and returns to his chair. Pinocchio drops his head against his knees. INT. TENT – DAY Hobbes paces, and Florence sits on the cot, edgy. HOBBES What happened? Florence shrugs. HOBBES He didn’t do this. He looks to Florence. HOBBES Did he? She shakes her head – of course not. Hobbes races from the tent, headed for the jail. EXT. CAMP – DAY The twins move in front of him, stopping him. Hobbes look at them a little guiltily. HOBBES I’m sorry. About your mother. I lost my mother, not long ago. It’s difficult. Especially at your age. Noel nods his acceptance. Leon continues to look at Hobbes. LEON You don’t believe your friend committed the crime. HOBBES No. I don’t. LEON You’ve never seen him kill before? Hobbes is silent a moment. HOBBES Never without reason. LEON And yet, he was the last person with her. He told you as much last night, didn’t he? Hobbes has nothing but a guilty nod to answer. LEON You and I are men. Soldiers. We both know that things can happen. That some men have uncontrollable instincts and desires. Even your friend. Hobbes is silent. LEON You find it difficult to defend him now. Leon pats his shoulder, an anachronistic image: the boy giving the man encouragement. LEON You’re learning. The twins move away, clearing the path for Hobbes. Hobbes’ steps are slower as he moves toward the edge of camp where the jail cell is. EXT. JAIL CELL – DAY The guard sits up straighter, at attention, when Hobbes approaches. Ready to act if Hobbes attempts to help Pinocchio escape. Hobbes goes over to the jail cell, and sits down. HOBBES Pinocchio. Pinocchio raises his head. PINOCCHIO Hobbes. Get me out of here. HOBBES I can’t do that. PINOCCHIO You heard them! They’re gonna kill me at sunset. HOBBES What happened to that woman. PINOCCHIO Hobbes! HOBBES What happened to her, Pinocchio? You were the last person to see her alive. PINOCCHIO Augh. They got to you, didn’t they. Those kids. Look, Hobbes, I didn’t kill her. Is that what you want me to say? HOBBES Only if it’s the truth. He holds Pinocchio’s eyes in a steady gaze for several seconds. PINOCCHIO Hobbes. I would never… He stops when he sees the unchanged look in Hobbes’s eyes. PINOCCHIO Something’s going on here. Something bigger than you, bigger than me. You've got to help me find out what it is. Hobbes’ expression still doesn’t change. He’s waiting to hear Pinocchio say the words: I didn’t kill her. Pinocchio sighs, giving in. PINOCCHIO Send Florence. If it’s not too much trouble. He puts his head back down. Hobbes gets to his feet. EXT. CAMP – DAY The other people in the camp stare at Hobbes as he walks along the center path. He notices, looking in their weary, dirty faces, but he doesn’t know why. He passes Florence. HOBBES Pinocchio – He points, and she nods. That’s where she was going anyway. He stands there, alone, being stared at, trying to pull himself together. Takes a deep breath. Notices something inside the twins’ tent. Hobbes draws closer until he is spying through a crack between the canvas flaps. POV: INT. TENT – DAY The twins sit on the floor, breathing deeply, almost as though in some sort of trance. They are holding hands, mirroring each other. Between them is the storybook, open, but the picture is not visible from where Hobbes stands. In unison, they turn their heads. LEON Come inside. EXT. JAIL CELL – DAY Florence lies on her stomach beside the bars, her fingers threaded through them, touching Pinocchio’s hand. PINOCCHIO There’s got to be something…some reason… He looks up at her imploringly. PINOCCHIO Hobbes thinks I’m guilty. Florence shakes her head. PINOCCHIO Either way, I’ve got to get out of here before sunset. He pulls his hand away to rub his face with both hands. He stops, fingers exploring a patch of skin near his temple. It’s rough. Florence frowns, seeing it for the first time. The patch of skin is red and flaky. As he rubs it, skin peels off, layer by layer. She sticks her fingers through the bars and touches him. Instantly the skin heals. PINOCCHIO This is more serious than I thought. He looks at her gravely. PINOCCHIO The blue glow…the electrical disturbances…you know what this is. She nods, not wanting to believe it. PINOCCHIO You have to convince Hobbes. INT. TENT – DAY Hobbes enters the tent cautiously. HOBBES Are you doing all right? He looks at Noel, whose eyes and nose are still red from crying. HOBBES She was all you had. LEON We are men. We do not need our mother. HOBBES Even a grown man can need his mother. His family. He touches Noel, rubbing his back comfortingly, and Leon flinches as though Hobbes had struck him (Leon). HOBBES Isn’t that right, Noel? LEON Leave my brother alone! HOBBES You two aren’t identical twins, are you? He looks from one to the other. NOEL Mirror twins. Hobbes nods. HOBBES I thought so. NOEL We started out as one. But now we’re two. Hobbes looks at him. HOBBES Then you are identical. He reaches for the book, left unprotected. HOBBES So what’s your story book about? He picks it up. LEON Our childhood. Hobbes is looking at a photograph of the explosion of the atomic bomb in New York City in 1995. INT. SANTIAGO’S OFFICE – DAY INGA FOSSA stands before Santiago, who sits behind his desk. She stands at attention, uncomfortable, uncertain why she’s there. SANTIAGO Were you here when the bomb exploded in New York? INGA No, sir. I wasn’t with the project until several months afterward. He nods. SANTIAGO A nuclear explosion is a beautiful thing. It cleanses with fire. He glances at her, sees her expression. SANTIAGO Do I sound like a madman to you? INGA No, sir. I’ve seen footage and simulations. The explosion is a sight to behold. SANTIAGO Sit down. She does, crossing her legs, never quite relaxing entirely. SANTIAGO One of our enemies may have acquired the materials and the knowledge to detonate a small nuclear device. I’m thinking of permitting it. He raises his eyebrows, inviting her opinion. INGA The bomb was the foothold that propelled you into your position today. It might be just the thing to convince those outside the fence that their resistance brings more peril than submitting to your rule. He nods. SANTIAGO I thought you’d say that. A look crosses her face as though she’s been set up and said the wrong thing. He nods. SANTIAGO Thank you, Inga. She rises, dismissed. INGA What have you decided, sir? SANTIAGO I haven’t. EXT. JAIL CELL – DAY Hobbes, hurrying toward the pit where Pinocchio is. Florence gets up and goes to him, touching his face. She finds unbroken blisters and touches them quickly. Hobbes moves his head, then realizes she’s healing something. HOBBES What? PINOCCHIO Trouble. Hobbes goes over to the cell as Florence surreptitiously moves toward the guard. HOBBES We’ve got bigger problems than your execution at sunset. PINOCCHIO Problems like a nuclear bomb. The eavesdropping guard starts, shocked. Florence uses his reaction to grab him. They struggle, with him going for his gun, but she wins. He DIGITIZES a moment after the gun fires. HOBBES You know. He moves for the rocks. Florence goes to help him. PINOCCHIO They’re playing with raw plutonium. That’s what caused the blue light. I thought the little brats were freaks, turns out they’re nuclear physicists. Go figure. Hobbes and Florence pull him out of the hole. He is unable to stand, his legs cramped, and the two of them pull his arms around their shoulders, holding him up. HOBBES That’s not all they are. PINOCCHIO The stories are true? HOBBES You know? PINOCCHIO Knew, but never believed it. He breaks away from them and limps a few steps away before sinking into the guard’s chair, rubbing the cramps out of his legs. Florence reaches for him, but he pushes her hand away. He looks directly at Hobbes. PINOCCHIO Ground zero was a park in New York City. EXT. CITY PARK – DAY – FLASHBACK Kids playing a soccer game. Mothers with babies in strollers. In the distance, we see the MAN WITH THE BOMB sitting on the bench in front of the fountain. PINOCCHIO (VO) Nice fall day. Kids were out. Families. A woman stands behind a swing. She is the TIRED WOMAN, only younger, vibrant. She is pushing her SON, a thin, blond six-year-old with bright eyes and a smile. PINOCCHIO (VO) They had no way to guess their world wasn’t real. That it was all a computer simulation, a video game designed to suit some twisted purpose. And even if they had known… The first CHIME of 12. A BRIGHT WHITE FLASH. PINOCCHIO (VO) They say a child survived, seemingly untouched by the bomb. The small blond boy has fallen from his swing. Aside from a smudge of dirt on his face, he is unhurt, unaffected by the fires that burn all around him. PINOCCHIO (VO) Except in that fraction of a second when the timer went off and the detonator struck, splitting the smallest measure of matter, the atom, in an explosive flash of light, something else was split. REVEAL: Sitting opposite the small blond boy is another, identical blond child. The first child gets to his feet, curious, and the other child does the same. They touch hands, as a baby touches a mirror, fascinated by his own image. Their arms wrap around each other in a hug, tighter, and the first boy, the stronger boy, seems to be trying to absorb the second boy into himself. But he can’t. He can’t do it. EXT. JAIL CELL – DAY Pinocchio blinks, and looks at Hobbes. HOBBES They think another blast will reverse it somehow. Will make them back into one. PINOCCHIO They don’t realize none of this is real. That it wasn’t them that was split, but a file in some messed-up mainframe, fragmented in the influx of data, by the sheer number of calculations per second required to set the bomb off, to bring Harsh Realm on line. To transfer it from our world into theirs. Hobbes just looks at him. HOBBES They’re going to do it soon. PINOCCHIO At sunset. ACT FOUR EXT. JAIL CELL – DAY HOBBES They’re gonna know something’s up if they see you. PINOCCHIO No way am I going back in that hole. You botch this, we’re dead. In a major way, you got that? HOBBES Just tell me what the plan is. PINOCCHIO You gain the kids’ trust. They already like you. You’ve both got that blond hero-savior complex about you. Hobbes opens his mouth to protest, but Pinocchio continues too quickly. PINOCCHIO Find out where their supplies are. Where the bomb is. How to disarm it. HOBBES How’m I gonna do that? Ask them? PINOCCHIO You’re a smart boy, Hobbes. Figure something out. Florence, you’re with me. He nods to her and they head into the woods. Hobbes stands there, hands open at his sides, not certain what he has to do. Then he turns to go back to camp. Neither of them notice NOEL, lurking close enough to overhear everything. INT. TENT – DAY Hobbes, at the opening. Leon sits on the floor cross-legged. Drawing something with a pencil. HOBBES Mind if I come in? Leon looks at him, a hard look, then nods. Hobbes steps inside. LEON I am drawing a battle plan. You’re an experienced soldier, although you have no army to lead. Leon passes the sheet of paper to him and watches carefully as Hobbes’s eyes roam over the very precise drawing. Hobbes hands it back. HOBBES Is that really the way you intend to take out Santiago? Leon looks at him questioningly. HOBBES You raised your army because you and your brother have special powers. People respect and fear you. LEON We raised our army because we are great warriors. We do not need special powers to win our battles. HOBBES How many battles have you won? LEON Three. How many battles have you won? Single- handed, with only your brother at your side? HOBBES Pinocchio isn’t – LEON Isn’t he? One of you is weak, and one of you is strong. You need each other to survive. EXT. FOREST – DAY Pinocchio is agitated. PINOCCHIO He’s gonna have to produce a miracle to pull this one off. Florence just looks at him. PINOCCHIO Our asses are dust. A small hand catches his sleeve and Pinocchio begins to brush him away as he would a mosquito, then he looks at Florence, and looks down. Noel is standing there. PINOCCHIO Great. And the kid overhears all our plans. He looks again to Florence. PINOCCHIO I hate killing kids. NOEL Please. Listen to me. His voice is so soft Pinocchio has to lean in to hear him. NOEL I can help you. PINOCCHIO You can help me? Why would you? Noel looks to Florence, and Pinocchio frowns at Florence, wondering why the kid wants encouragement from her. But it’s innocent – she smiles at him and Noel looks back to Pinocchio. NOEL I’m afraid of Leon. I don’t want him to be me. INT. TENT – DAY Hobbes leans back, looking at Leon. HOBBES But your brother is you. LEON No. He is not me. He is not any part of me. And yet… He looks at Hobbes, almost trying to seduce him. LEON I need him. He picks up his pencil and his paper again. LEON You do not seem upset your friend will die at sunset. HOBBES Maybe he won’t. Leon looks at him, calculating, and Hobbes flashes him a semi-phony grin. Letting the kid know what he’s up against. Hobbes takes his pencil. HOBBES Let me show you how to plan a real battle. EXT. FOREST – DAY Florence has put one hand on Noel’s shoulder, holding him against her. With her other hand, she ruffles his hair gently, comfortingly. Pinocchio crouches to get down on the kid’s level. PINOCCHIO You know what your brother’s planning? NOEL I miss my mom. Leon says to be a man, that we’re men, that we’re warriors and it can’t hurt us, but I miss her. She shouldn’t be dead. Leon didn’t have to kill her. Pinocchio sighs, then uses the corner of his shirt to dry the boy’s tears. PINOCCHIO I know you miss her. Men cry. Even grown men cry. He looks up at Florence and wipes the boy’s tears again. PINOCCHIO Why did Leon hurt your mom? Noel rubs his eyes, trying to hide his face. He seems much younger than he is. NOEL Because she talked to you. About us. And because she looked at our book. PINOCCHIO What book? NOEL The book about the bomb. PINOCCHIO What do you know about the bomb, Noel? NOEL It was bad. PINOCCHIO What else about the bomb? Noel looks at him cautiously. NOEL I shouldn’t be talking to you. He breaks away from Florence and runs off into the woods. PINOCCHIO Noel! He looks at Florence, exasperated. PINOCCHIO Kids. INT. TENT – DAY Hobbes is sketching on the notepad while Leon looks on. HOBBES What you need is firepower. You can have all the men in the world, but if the other side has more arms than you, you’re going to lose. And while you have a lot of men, you don’t have much firepower. LEON We have all the firepower we need. HOBBES Against Santiago’s army? I don’t think so. Leon looks at him. LEON You treat me as an equal. HOBBES We are both soldiers. We fight for the same cause. Leon continues to give him a measuring stare. Then he pushes up from the ground, leaving his paper and pencil behind him. LEON I will show you our firepower. As an afterthought, he picks up the book, pressing it to his body with one hand as a child might a security blanket. He takes Hobbes’ hand, leading the man as though he were a child. EXT. TENT – DAY Leon glances up at the sky. LEON It’s almost sunset. EXT. WOODS – DAY Pinocchio is pacing, looking for Noel. PINOCCHIO We’re going to have to find it ourselves. Florence nods. PINOCCHIO They would need tools. Room to work. The idea catches fire in his mind. PINOCCHIO Of course. He heads back to camp. Florence grabs his arm, shakes her head: you can’t go back there. PINOCCHIO I’ll risk it. INT. CAMP BUILDING – DAY The long table is clear, the ammunition and food put away. Its white tablecloth hangs neatly to the floor. Leon looks at Hobbes and set the book down on the table. LEON Have you ever seen a nuclear bomb before? Hobbes waits, anticipating. EXT. CAMP – DAY Pinocchio rushes to the square at one end of camp. He stands in the middle of the cleared area. The twins’ mother’s body is no longer there. PINOCCHIO This has to be it. It has to be right here. This is where she died. He looks up, at the tent they occupied. PINOCCHIO There was a reaction last night. That killed her. That’s how we got the burns. He raises one hand to his forehead unconsciously. He looks at Florence, who has one hand raised, pointing. For a second, he doesn’t see it. The pattern is buried beneath the twilight shadows of the trees. But then it becomes clear – the black shadows of those who have died, the shadows melding into one another, baked into the ground. INT. CAMP BUILDING – DAY Leon gets down and slides under the tablecloth. He emerges dragging an ordinary looking battered brown suitcase. He looks at Hobbes and flips it open, revealing the bomb mechanism. Leon grins. It’s the first time we’ve seen him smile and there’s death in his expression. Eager to impress, he touches the parts of the bomb as he enumerates them for Hobbes: LEON Explosives, to make it more powerful. The timer, for the detonator, so our army will have time to get to safety. Fuses. Packing material to keep it all steady in the suitcase until we’re ready to go. HOBBES Something’s missing, isn’t it? Leon looks at him. HOBBES You need something to start the reaction, don’t you? LEON Of course. HOBBES Where is it? LEON I can’t show you. Not yet. The door bangs open. Noel stands there, his eyes wild. Leon’s smile grows serene. LEON The moment has arrived. Hobbes jumps to his feet. HOBBES No! You can’t do this! It’s wrong, you know it’s wrong. You were there when the bomb went off. You know the pain and destruction it caused. You can’t do that again. He grabs the suitcase and smashes it, tearing the parts out and throwing them on the ground. Leon looks at Noel. LEON They’re in the woods. Noel nods. LEON You’re not the only one who’s learned about our plan. We don’t have to go to Santiago. He’s come to us. HOBBES (to Noel) You can stop this. PINOCCHIO No. He can’t. Hobbes looks up, to Pinocchio slouching in the doorway. PINOCCHIO I can. Pinocchio holds out his hand. He opens his fingers and a blue glow begins to slowly fill the room with wondrous light. The twins’ faces light up with it. PINOCCHIO Newton’s law: Matter cannot be created or destroyed. Pinocchio closes his fingers. PINOCCHIO Except in Harsh Realm. He puts one hand over the other, as though crushing the ball of light. HOBBES Pinocchio – Pinocchio opens his fingers and the blue glow is there again, only this time it’s different. It digitizes and goes out. Pinocchio’s hands are empty. PINOCCHIO An atom…is a living thing. Destroy it, and we’re all destroyed. He turns his back on the twins. Leon charges at him. LEON No! That was my only chance! Pinocchio deflects the blow as what it is – an attack from a small, thin adolescent. He knocks Leon back into the dirt without missing a step. PINOCCHIO Come on, Hobbes. He keeps walking. EXT. CAMP – DAY Outside the tent, Florence is behind the wheel of the car. Dexter barks at the sight of Hobbes. Pinocchio climbs in back, Hobbes sits up front. Florence floors it. INT. PINOCCHIO’S CAR – DAY Pinocchio rests his head back against the seat. We see now that he’s sweating profusely. He sighs. Hobbes twists in his seat, sees Pinocchio’s condition. HOBBES What’s going on? Pinocchio grins, opens his hand. The blue glow is there. Hobbes gapes. Pinocchio closes his fingers, hiding the light. PINOCCHIO Sleight of hand. Oldest trick in the book. He smiles weakly. PINOCCHIO And they fell for it. Florence glances at him worriedly and pulls the car over. Pinocchio pulls himself into a sitting position. EXT. FOREST – DAY Between the shadows of the trees, they get out of the car. Pinocchio is visibly weak as he stumbles over to a HOLE IN THE GROUND. PINOCCHIO They say this well goes straight to the center of the earth. If you drop something down it, it never hits bottom. Just keeps going. He drops the radioactive material down the well, followed by a scooping handful of dirt. Then he collapses. Florence rushes to him, propping him up, administering aid. Hobbes watches, cautiously, until Pinocchio sits up on his own. PINOCCHIO Thanks. HOBBES That was a stupid thing you did. Pinocchio gets up. PINOCCHIO You’re welcome. He ambles back to the car. INT. SANTIAGO’S OFFICE – DAY Once again, Inga is sitting before General Santiago. INGA You averted the crisis. Excellent work, General. SANTIAGO You assume it was my doing? Inga is mildly surprised. INGA What other man would have the power to stop a nuclear holocaust – even one on a small scale? She smiles at him, on the seductive side of flirtatious – an “I’m right, aren’t I?” kind of smile as she leans back in her chair. Santiago returns the expression. SANTIAGO It didn’t happen this time. But there is a storm coming. One that once it has begun, no one will be able to stop. She looks at him, blinks, as wide-eyed as she ever gets. SANTIAGO No one. END.