The Gardeners of Eden
Cryogenic Victims Version
by
Tarl N. Telford
FADE IN:
EXT CITY - DAY
Stock footage. People walking. Cars driving. Construction. Pollution. Sirens wailing. Funeral. People mourning.
INT WAITING ROOM - DAY
The waiting room contains only a few brochures for travel companies. No paintings adorn the walls. Everything has a freshly scrubbed, antiseptic feel to it.
DORA, a young, intelligent looking woman, sits alone in the room. She glances at her watch every few seconds. It is obvious that she is uncomfortably anxious.
The door opens.
Dora rises from her seat. She looks expectantly at the open door. MICHAEL, a handsome fellow, about her same age, enters. He holds a paper and a pencil in her hand.
Dora smiles hopefully at Michael. He quietly returns the smile. He pulls the second chair to the wall opposite the first and sits down. Dora sits down slowly across from him.
DORA
I don't bite.
MICHAEL
(quickly)
I know.
(slower)
I'm sorry. I'm just a little bit nervous, that's all.
Dora chews on her lip for a minute, her eyes searching the room for something to talk about. She picks up a travel brochure for NEW MEXICO.
Michael dives into his paper. He furiously scribbles hasty words with the stub of a pencil.
DORA
Ever been to New Mexico?
Michael looks up nervously.
MICHAEL
Huh? What?
Dora holds out the pamphlet to show him.
DORA
Have you ever been to New Mexico? I've heard it's nice.
MICHAEL
No. No, I don't like the outdoors.
He realizes this makes him sound foolish, and he dives back into his paper.
Dora puts down the brochure and looks intently at him. After a few seconds, Michael shifts uncomfortably, feeling her intense stare.
MICHAEL
What? People don't like it when you stare at them.
Dora doesn't flinch or give any ground.
DORA
Don't like it when they're ignored, either.
Dora gestures to the paper.
DORA
What're you working on?
Michael crumples up the paper and puts it in his pocket.
MICHAEL
Just some stuff.
DORA
What kind of stuff?
Before Michael can answer, the door opens again. A tall scientist, DR. SERLING, enters. He carries a very official looking clipboard at his side.
DR. SERLING
Hello. You must be Dora and Michael.
Dora and Michael look at each other questioningly.
DORA
I'm Dora. You Michael?
Michael nods affirmatively.
DR. SERLING
I'm Doctor Serling. Thank you both for coming in. You are a great help to us. I have some forms here for you to sign.
Dr. Serling hands each of them several forms.
Dora opens her mouth to ask a question, but Dr. Serling holds up a hand to stop her.
DR. SERLING
Before you ask, this is just a formality. The government requires that all of this be strictly voluntary.
Michael carefully reads through each form before signing them. Dora drops to the ground and signs the papers immediately.
DORA
How long is this going to take? I've got to get my books by next Friday.
DR. SERLING
Barring any unforeseen calamities, you should be done by tomorrow.
MICHAEL
"Unforeseen calamities"? What do you mean by that?
Dr. Serling chuckles good-naturedly.
DR. SERLING
Nuclear holocaust, alien invasion, trucker strike, that type of thing.
Michael smiles at the attempt at humor.
Dora swings her arms back and forth, waiting for Michael to finish.
DORA
So, what now?
Michael signs the last paper and hands them to Dr. Serling.
DR. SERLING
If you will follow me.
INT CORRIDORS - CONTINUING
Dr. Serling leads them through many corridors. Each corridor is identical to the last, lit with florescent lighting, and tiled with featureless squares of tile.
MICHAEL
Is there any danger involved in this?
DORA
Hey, it's good money, don't knock it.
MICHAEL
I just want to be certain.
DR. SERLING
If there is any doubt, we can stop now.
Dr. Serling halts in the middle of the corridor. He and Dora look earnestly at Michael for an answer.
MICHAEL
No. I'm fine.
DR. SERLING
Well, then, let's continue.
Their footsteps echo in the empty hallways, accentuating their isolation from the outside world.
DORA
Hey, Doc, you ever been to New Mexico?
Dr. Serling glances sideways at her. His face flinches momentarily, but he quickly composes himself.
DR. SERLING
I worked for a while at Los Alamos Labs. Why do you ask?
DORA
I just never been to New Mexico. I think it'd be cool.
(gesturing to Michael)
He hasn't either.
DR. SERLING
I'm sure you'll get your chance someday.
Dr. Serling stops outside an elevator. He turns to look at Michael.
DR. SERLING
Last chance, Michael. As soon as these doors close, there's no turning back.
The elevator doors open. Dr. Serling steps in. Dora looks at Michael.
DORA
After you.
MICHAEL
No, you go first.
DORA
Chivalry isn't dead after all.
Michael hesitates, but steps inside.
The doors slowly draw together. Emotions churn on Michael's face, but he says nothing.
The doors hiss shut.
Michael closes his eyes in resignation. He takes a deep breath to steel himself.
CUT TO:
INT LAB - CONTINUING
White coated scientists and technicians bustle about. The elevator doors hiss open.
Dr. Serling stops Dora and Michael from stepping out with an upraised hand. He steps into the lab and looks around. Confident that all is well, he motions for them to follow.
DR. SERLING
Everything has to be squared away for civilians to be in here.
In the background, a freezer door closes. The TECHNICIAN meets Dr. Serling's gaze and nods once.
DR. SERLING
If you'll just follow me through those doors.
INT CRYONICS LAB - CONTINUING
Dora shivers as she steps through the doors. The temperature is visibly colder. Condensation beads on the walls. Mist rises up from the floor.
MICHAEL
This won't hurt, will it?
DORA
Baby.
MICHAEL
Shut up.
DORA
Wimp.
DR. SERLING
Now, children. Do I have to separate you two?
Dr. Serling takes them into his office, adjoining the lab.
INT DR. SERLING'S LAB - CONTINUING
Dr. Serling gestures to two chairs. They sit. Neat stacks of books line the walls. He picks up one entitled, "CRYOGENIC TECHNOLOGY".
DR. SERLING
They ought to write one called "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cryogenic Experimentation".
He thumbs casually through the pages. Michael glances over at Dora. She clears her throat.
DR. SERLING
You have a question.
DORA
Um, yeah. So what, exactly, are you going to do to us?
DR. SERLING
I thought it was made very clear in the interview.
(to himself)
Note to self. Be more precise in training interviewers.
MICHAEL
(to Dora)
They're going to drop our core body temperatures down for a few minutes.
(to Dr. Serling)
That's all you're going to do, right?
Dr. Serling smiles warmly.
DR. SERLING
That's it. Cryogenic technology has progressed tremendously in the last ten years.
Dr. Serling flips his book around to show a picture of a gerbil lying on a piece of tin foil.
DR. SERLING
We've come a long way since this gerbil was frozen.
DORA
Is it dead?
DR. SERLING
Yes.
DORA
That won't happen ...
Her eyes hold the unspoken question.
DR. SERLING
No. Of course not. This was a gerbil in tin foil. We have the best equipment money can buy.
MICHAEL
They couldn't do this if it was dangerous.
DR. SERLING
There is something else.
This stops Michael and Dora mid-thought. They freeze in place.
DR. SERLING
No, nothing horrible, I assure you. We just want to give a psychological examination after you come back. This will help hospitals when they use cryonics in surgery.
Dora breathes a sigh of relief. Consternation furrows Michael's brow.
DR. SERLING
We can't have any foreign fibers in our machines. We have bodysuits for you. Completely synthetic. You can change in that room just over there.
Michael glances at the Dr. Serling, still questioning.
DR. SERLING
There are separate changing stalls.
INT CHANGING ROOM - CONTINUING
The two stalls stand next to each other. Michael and Dora speak to each other as they change. Only their feet can be seen beneath the door of the stalls.
DORA
What're you worried about, anyway?
MICHAEL
I just have a funny feeling.
DORA
It's three thousand dollars, Michael. You don't argue with that kind of money.
MICHAEL
I know.
DORA
Besides, what could possibly happen? I mean, this is real life, not some movie.
Dora and Michael step out at the same time. Dora adjusts her bodysuit slightly. She looks approvingly at Michael.
DORA
Looks good on you.
Michael looks down at his new attire.
MICHAEL
Um, yeah.
DORA
The polite thing is to return the compliment.
MICHAEL
Uh, it looks really good on you, Dora.
Dora pats him on the arm.
DORA
(sardonically)
You are so sweet.
CUT TO:
INT CRYONICS LAB - CONTINUING
Dora shivers as she steps from the changing room into the chilly lab. Technicians have gathered. Two cryogenic pods stand open on the far wall.
DR. SERLING
Well, you two look ready.
MICHAEL
It's a little tight.
DORA
It's supposed to be.
DR. SERLING
Don't want any air pockets freezing against your skin. After all this, we wouldn't want you to catch cold.
Michael and Dora look at him dubiously.
DR. SERLING
That was a joke. Ha ha. Funny.
(clearing his throat)
Well, here they are.
Dr. Serling gestures to the pods.
Michael and Dora step into their respective pods. An AIDE bursts through the door.
The pod doors begin to close.
AIDE
Sir, they've infiltrated the perimeter.
DORA
What?
Only a few inches remain before the pod door closes. Dora and Michael push on them, but to no avail. They continue their inorexible descent.
AIDE
-only a few minutes left.
The doors close on the pods. Dora and Michael pound, but no sounds emerge.
In the lab, emergency lights and sirens flash and wail.
Mist rises up around Dora and Michael in the pods. Dora's eyes grow wide with terror. Michael screws his eyes shut, refusing to look death in the face.
As they freeze, their bodies relax. A crumpled piece of paper falls from Michael's hand.
ELLSWORTH, one of Dr. Serling's colleagues, enters the room. The sirens shut off. He looks at the two of them inside the pods.
ELLSWORTH
They're just kids.
DR. SERLING
They're old enough.
Ellsworth bends down and looks at the bottom of Michael's pod. He sees the crumpled piece of paper.
ELLSWORTH
He wasn't supposed to take anything in with him.
DR. SERLING
It's too late now. We can't thaw them just for that.
ELLSWORTH
No matter. Jeremiah wants these two in New Mexico tomorrow.
Dr. Serling nods. A slow smile spreads over his face.
DR. SERLING
I'll take them down myself.
CUT TO:
INT DESTROYED LAB - DAY
Harsh sunlight peers through a gaping hole in the ceiling. Debris litters the floor. Most of the computers lie in various pieces, none of them functional. Other than the damage, the room is identical to the cryonics lab.
Two cryogenic pods lie against the far wall.
A weak COUGH comes from just outside the room. A frail young man, JACOB, pushes his way into the room. He wears a ragged lab coat over his threadbare clothing.
He pushes some buttons on a control panel near the pods. The latches click open. The pod doors open. A fine mist pours out.
Dora awakens with a gasp. She pushes her way out of the pod into the destroyed lab. Panic and terror drive her every move. She pounds on Michael's pod.
Michael slowly opens his eyes. He slumps down in the pod. His legs push the door open further.
Dora kneels down next to Michael. She pats his face, trying to get him coherent.
JACOB
Who are you?
Dora turns to face this weak voice.
JACOB
I thought you would be dead. Those aren't supposed to last more than a week.
Michael slowly stands up with Dora's help.
MICHAEL
A week? How long were we ...?
Harsh coughs rattle Jacob's slight frame. He falls to his knees.
JACOB
What year do you think it is?
DORA
Two thousand.
Jacob laughs, but it turns into another fit of coughing.
JACOB
Not for thirteen years, it hasn't been.
MICHAEL
No. This is all some cruel joke. It has to be.
Dora slowly drops to the ground.
MICHAEL
What happened?
JACOB
There was a war. This place got bombed right near the start. I just found it last week.
MICHAEL
Then how did you know about these pods?
JACOB
There were some down in the other room.
DORA
Did they have people in them?
JACOB
Used to. Well, what's left, anyway.
Dora looks around at the destroyed lab. Thick coats of gritty dust cover everything.
JACOB
Everyone left is sick. Some kind of germ, I think.
DORA
(to Michael)
What do we do?
Michael turns to Jacob.
MICHAEL
How far is it to San Diego?
Jacob's laugh rattles in his chest.
JACOB
Won't find anything there. Won't find anything anywhere. Just stay out here.
DORA
I can't live out here.
MICHAEL
(to Dora)
We'll find something.
Michael extends a hand and helps her to her feet.
JACOB
Adam and Eve all over again.
MICHAEL
No, there's got to be somebody else out there.
JACOB
What if there isn't?
DORA
There has to be.
Jacob falls into another coughing fit. This one drives him to the ground. He slumps against the wall. When Dora moves to help him, he waves her away.
JACOB
I'm dead anyway. I'll just close my eyes for a while. I'll be fine ... in ... the ... morning.
His breath slows and stops. Dora backs away slowly.
DORA
This is not happening. This is not happening.
She turns to seek solace in Michael's arms. He awkwardly holds her.
They push aside a fallen computer. They climb out a broken window. Dora turns back to look at Jacob one last time. His slight frame looks so small next to the cryogenic pod.
Dora takes Michael's hand. They walk out into the desert.
Inside the lab, the door opens. Dr. Serling enters. He looks out the window at Dora and Michael walking away.
DR. SERLING
Beautiful, Jacob. Almost brought me to tears.
Jacob stands up and dusts himself off.
JACOB
Well, you know. Gotta practice for that Oscar somehow.
Jacob looks out after Dora and Michael.
JACOB
How far you gonna let them go?
DR. SERLING
I'll send someone to get them tomorrow.
JACOB
You really dig this whole Adam and Eve thing, don't you?
Dr. Serling smiles thoughtfully.
DR. SERLING
An interesting phenomenon. How would you feel if you were the last two people in the world? That makes you the first, also. Survival of the species, you know.
Jacob coughs and clears his throat. He speaks in a much clearer voice.
JACOB
I hate swallowing that stuff. Tears up my throat.
DR. SERLING
You play your part, Jacob. I play mine. They play theirs.
JACOB
So what's next?
DR. SERLING
Jeremiah has another two coming down tomorrow. Same thing.
JACOB
They're never going to forgive you for this.
Dr. Serling gets quiet and pensive.
DR. SERLING
I plant them. I watch them grow. I give them new life. They have no more cause, but still they hate.
JACOB
There is only one God. You're not Him.
DR. SERLING
Yes ... I suppose you're right. Well, we'd better get things ready for tomorrow.
Dr. Serling carefully closes the cryogenic pod. The crumpled piece of paper rolls out onto the floor. Jacob picks it up and unfolds it.
JACOB
(preoccupied)
What are we doing tomorrow?
DR. SERLING
The same thing we do every week, Jacob. Try to create a new world.
Dr. Serling exits.
Jacob looks at the hastily scrawled writing on the paper. He looks out the window at Dora and Michael.
EXT DESERT - SAME TIME
Dora and Michael walk out toward the horizon.
JACOB (V.O.)
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil ... surely mercy and goodness shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
INT DESTROYED LAB - CONTINUING
Jacob crumples the paper up and throws it to the ground.
JACOB
I wish it were that easy.
FADE OUT: