VERITAS: THE QUEST
1X02: ANTARCTICA
ORIGINAL AIR DATE ON ABC: 02/03/2003
TRANSCRIBED FROM ABC
Written by: PATRICK MASSETT & JOHN ZINMAN
Directed by: PERRY LANG
Transcript by Intrepid
Courtesy of http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html
Please do not archive this transcript without permission from the
Transcriptionist
RATING: TV-PG-V
HDTV
==========================
DISCLAIMER:
==========================
"VERITAS: THE QUEST" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and (c) by
Massett/Zinman Productions, Storyline Entertainment, and Touchstone Television.
All Rights Reserved. This transcript was made without their permission,
approval, authorization or endorsement. Any reproduction, duplication or
distribution of this material in any form is expressly prohibited. It is
absolutely forbidden to use it for commercial gain.
CONDITION OF USE: (1) Do not alter the content of this file. (2) Leave the
headers/disclaimers in tact because it lists all those who have made this
transcript possible for your enjoyment. (3) Provide a link back to the site
where this file originated: http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html
Contact the Transcriptionist at (intrepidly002@yahoo.com)
==========================
SUMMARY: The team travels to Antarctica in search for the "Source".
==========================
VERITAS: THE QUEST
1X02: ANTARCTICA
==========================
FADE IN
[TITLE SCREEN]
VERITAS: THE QUEST
CUT TO:
NARRATOR: Previously on "Veritas: The Quest":
[Scenes from 1X01: Reunion]
(HALEY CAYCE puts her hand on center of the sun symbol; it lights up with a
power that burns white.
SOLOMON: (v.o.) I lost your mother in all this. I'm not going to lose you
too.
(MIKHAIL leads YOUNG NIKKO out of the room. YOUN NIKKO turns around and runs
toward his mother.)
YOUNG NIKKO ZOND: Mom!
(A white beam of light shoots out from the center of the sun symbol and hits
YOUNG NIKKO. He glows with a golden light that lifts him off of the ground.)
(Dissolve to: NIKKO gets his first look at The Truth Foundation.)
(Cut to: A relic with ancient runic writing on it. Camera moves over to the
drawing in HALEY CAYCE'S journal.)
SOLOMON: (v.o.) You're going to see some things you're not going to
understand.
(Cut to: The large metal disk with the same symbols found in HALEY CAYCE'S
journal.)
NIKKO: (v.o.) Holy!
SOLOMON: (v.o.) These discoveries are clues. Pieces of the puzzle.
(Cut to: The micro text on the metal disk as being viewed and enhanced on the
computer laptop monitor.)
[THE GRAY MAN]
GRAY MAN: I'm concerned about Zond's progress.
(Cut to: Inside the chamber with the large statue, the group has their first
glimpse of the intricate light beam ancient security system coming from the
center of the crystal display that separates them from the large statue and the
"vessel".)
SOLOMON: I want to know why Dorna's so worried about us figuring it out.
(Cut to: The Gray Man, Ivan Hossik, and the other DORNA men search for Zond's
group above ground in the graveyard.)
TOLLAN: What matters - is what's important to Dorna - the secrets we protect.
And let's not forget - we are one of those secrets.
(Cut to: IVAN HOSSIK holds his gun on SOLOMON. SOLOMON holds up the vessel in
his hand. He drops the vessel, shattering it on the floor. Everything is
thrown into chaos.)
(The petroleum torch dishes inside the room ignite.)
(Cut to: The walls start exploding. The frayed rope above starts burning. The
large weight suspended from above crashes down into the crystal display. The
distraction is enough for everyone to get away.)
GRAY MAN: This discovery is like a path right to our door.
(Cut to: On the jet, SOLOMON unrolls the scroll hidden inside the "vessel" out
on the table in front of everyone.)
SOLOMON: It's a map of Antarctica.
(Cut to: After their talk, NIKKO looks up at his dad, fully expecting the
worst. SOLOMON tells him otherwise.)
SOLOMON: Make sure you pack your long woollies. We're going to the pole.
FADE TO BLACK
END OF PREVIOUSLY ON
CUT TO
[EXT. -- DAY]
(SOLOMON grabs the hand hold and pulls himself up along side the wall they're
scaling. Through the falling snow, he looks up at the sky above and at how much
further they need to go.)
(He looks over at CALVIN and NIKKO who are also beside him, scaling the wall.)
SOLOMON: All right, Nikko, you take the lead. Find a spot and put in the cam.
NIKKO: All right.
CALVIN: Do you need a hand?
NIKKO: No, I'm fine.
CALVIN: Don't freeze up on us. I know a lot of guys who freeze up - they
panic.
NIKKO: Yeah, well I'm not a lot of people.
(NIKKO pulls himself up and above the others.)
SOLOMON: All right that's good, son. Nice and easy. Find your rhythm.
(As he climbs up, one of NIKKO'S hands slips out of the grip. He turns
outwards, his body swinging out and away from the wall.)
CALVIN: Solomon, he's slipping!
SOLOMON: All right Nikko, hang on. Don't panic. Just reach back, grab a cam,
jam it in.
(Struggling, NIKKO reaches back for his bag and grabs some cams. His bag slips
and falls. CALVIN watches from below.)
CALVIN: Comin' down.
(CALVIN ducks as the bag whips by him.)
(NIKKO dangles there as he tries to get his bearings.)
SOLOMON: Nikko!
(CALVIN holds out his hand to NIKKO.)
CALVIN: Give me your safety line!
NIKKO: No, I'm good.
CALVIN: Not good! Now give me the damn line.
NIKKO: I got it.
CALVIN: Damn it!
SOLOMON: Look, Nikko, look down. Find a foot hole.
(CALVIN looks up at the cam.)
CALVIN: Solomon! The cam - it's not holding.
NIKKO: Ugh! Ugh!
SOLOMON: Nikko, stop wiggling around. Just stay still.
(NIKKO stops struggling.)
CALVIN: (to SOLOMON) You got to do it!
(SOLOMON takes out a pocket knife.)
SOLOMON: (to NIKKO) It's one dead or three dead.
NIKKO: No! Dad!
SOLOMON: I'm sorry son.
NIKKO: No, don't'!
(SOLOMON cuts the line. NIKKO falls backward. SOLOMON watches from above as
NIKKO falls all the way down and hits the safety bag on the bottom.)
VOICE: (b.g.) Lights!
VOICE: (b.g.) Kill fan!
(The lights turn back up and the "snowstorm" stops. SOLOMON and CALVIN rappel
down to the ground. NIKKO gets up off of the bag.)
CALVIN: You all right?
NIKKO: Fine. It's kind of fun, actually.
CALVIN: Fun, yeah? It's great, Nicky - you just dropped into the abyss.
NIKKO: Yeah, thanks for the support.
CALVIN: You know what? All you had to do was hand me a line. I could have
hooked you.
NIKKO: Look, I thought I had it, all right?
CALVIN: No, no. It's not all right. You screwed up and you could have put us
all at risk.
NIKKO: Hey, back off, Chuck. I'm learning.
SOLOMON: Okay guys, that's enough.
(CALVIN turns away.)
SOLOMON: He's right, Nikko, you should've handed over the line.
NIKKO: Dad ...
SOLOMON: Look, it's important when you're up there to get a visual picture of
what you're doing. Every move you make - see it before you do it.
NIKKO: What do you mean? Like, like be the wall or something?
CALVIN: No! He means like think before you act, man.
(NIKKO shakes his head.)
SOLOMON: Look, I can't bring you to Antarctica if you're not ready.
NIKKO: Dad, I can handle the ice wall.
SOLOMON: It's about more than that. We go as a team. And we act as a team.
You need help? You ask for it. Look, Nikko, there are no airbags down there.
(SOLOMON leaves NIKKO with that thought. He turns and walks away. NIKKO leans
back against the wall and takes off his hat.)
DISSOLVE TO
END OF TEASER
ROLL TITLE CREDITS
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION - OFFICE -- DAY]
(MAGGIE fills SOLOMON in on what she's found in regard to the Antarctica map.)
MAGGIE: I've run a topography comparison between the ancient map of Antarctica
which we found in the Paris temple and the current U.S. Geologic survey map.
SOLOMON: And? It matches?
MAGGIE: Completely. Like it was drawn this morning. And that's not all it
shows.
(SOLOMON and MAGGIE look at each other.)
SOLOMON: You found the site?
(He puts his arm around her and she smiles.)
MAGGIE: Only with the help of Haley's journal.
SOLOMON: I love this girl!
(Everyone smiles.)
MAGGIE: This location is extremely well hidden. It has been for thousands of
years. I made a translation. The Delta of the three rivers - X marks the spot.
NIKKO: That's my mom. So what's under there?
SOLOMON: Let's find out.
(SOLOMON takes the current map and puts it over the old map.)
SOLOMON: The Chilton Plateau.
MAGGIE: Right on the edge of the landmass. Costal property. Until it got
hidden under at least a mile of ice.
NIKKO: Well, so what's the big secret?
MAGGIE: (looking through the journal) Well your mother made a reference in her
journal to the seat of power. Supposedly hidden underneath the Antarctic ice.
She also wrote "Source" next to it. Maybe an other translation?
(Something seems familiar to JULIET and she turns away for a moment.)
NIKKO: The Source of Power.
(NIKKO looks up at CALVIN.)
CALVIN: Yeah. Like Power Source.
(He shrugs.)
VINCENT: There's an ancient Olmec legend about a place on a vast Southern
Continent that was said to possess the power of god.
CALVIN: Or just putting the voodoo aside for a second, it could just be an
ancient energy technology.
NIKKO: And no one has found it yet?
MAGGIE: Nobody else knows what to look for. Or where to look for it. This map
is the only key.
NIKKO: Wait a second. That's why they tried to kill us in Paris? Because of
this map.
SOLOMON: That's right.
(JULIET turns around with a book.)
JULIET: Hey guys, check this out. (reading)
"Beneath this icy glass of strife,
our spirits embark on the pale of death.
Here we find the ancient light
guiding us toward the eternal breath."
JULIET: Your mom found that quote. It was written by a man on Ernest
Shakelton's expedition in 1914.
NIKKO: Is that the uh, guy who explored the south pole?
JULIET DROIL: Right. He and his men were stranded on Antarctica for 22 months
with hardly more than parkas and blankets. And not one man died.
NIKKO: Wait a second, that's like two years. That's impossible.
SOLOMON: Not unless they had some help from whatever was buried under the
Chilton Plateau.
VINCENT: Here we find the ancient light.
CALVIN: Um, I don't know if it's occurred to anybody - but if this a power
source, whoever finds it first could end up controlling the earth's new energy
supply.
NIKKO: So what are we going to do when we find it?
SOLOMON: We make sure it gets into the right hands. Antarctica's a restricted
area. I'll see if I can get around that. Okay, Maggie, I want you to book me
on the next shuttle to D.C. I'm going to pay a little visit and do some recon
at the department of energy on the Chilton Plateau, while you guys prep for the
trip.
NIKKO: (enthused) All right, fire up the jet baby, we're headed to the pole!
(Everyone disburses.)
CALVIN: (to NIKKO) You know, it's like thirty degrees below zero out there.
(rubs it in) And there's no um, Ramada with an indoor pool or something like
that.
NIKKO: Yeah, thanks, thanks. You know, we - we are on the same team here. I
was - I was kind of hoping we could share a sleeping bag.
(NIKKO turns to head out, SOLOMON stops him.)
SOLOMON: Nikko!
NIKKO: Yeah?
SOLOMON: Wait up.
NIKKO: What's up?
SOLOMON: Listen, um, I've given this a lot of thought and I'm very sorry, but
you're staying home.
NIKKO: What? But dad I can-
(VINCENT looks up and steps away from the table toward SOLOMON.)
SOLOMON: Calm down. Look, it's just - it's just going to be too dangerous down
there.
NIKKO: Well then you shouldn't be going either.
SOLOMON: Oh, please.
NIKKO: "Oh, please" what, dad? Please stand by and let you treat me like a
kid? I can do this.
SOLOMON: I know you think you can-
NIKKO: No, the problem is - is that you think I can't.
(NIKKO walks away.)
VINCENT: I didn't know you'd made up your mind.
(SOLOMON turns around and sighs.)
SOLOMON: What am I supposed to do? Tell me.
VINCENT: He's not a boy anymore, Solomon. Perhaps he needs a different kind of
father now.
SOLOMON: Vincent, you didn't see him on the climbing wall. All right, he is
not ready for this.
VINCENT: Who the hell is ever ready for the things we do? If you don't let him
in now, you could lose him for good.
SOLOMON: I've got to pack.
(SOLOMON leaves.)
CUT TO:
[EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. - DAY]
LEGEND: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[INT. - OFFICE -- DAY]
CONNIE WILES: (on phone) Look, it's a two thousand year old burial ground.
You can't start drilling until they finish the excavation.
(SOLOMON peers into the office. He lingers in the doorway.)
CONNIE WILES: (on phone) And it wouldn't hurt your corporate image to show a
little respect for the dead, you know?
(CONNIE looks up and sees SOLOMON who walks into the office.)
CONNIE WILES: (on phone) Two more weeks, then you can start ravaging the
landscape.
(She hangs up.)
SOLOMON: Very nice. Moving on up, I see. You know, I remember when this place
was actually trying to save the environment.
(SOLOMON picks up a snow globe off of CONNIE'S desk and starts shaking it. She
grabs it from him and puts it aside.)
CONNIE WILES: Yes, well, administrations change. What are you doing here,
Solomon? Oh no, never mind. I don't want to know.
(SOLOMON walks completely around CONNIE'S desk and she tries to hide her
computer monitor from him, blocking it with her arms.)
CONNIE WILES: Whatever it is, I probably can't help you and I definitely
shouldn't.
SOLOMON: You know, maybe I'm here to help you. You ever think of that?
(pause) You know, you look good. No, really, red is definitely your color.
(He sits down.) You have that whole red thing going on there - and the dress.
It's ...
CONNIE WILES: Sweet talk - never a good sign.
SOLOMON: I just need some information.
CONNIE WILES: You know, they have this new thing for information now. It's
called the internet.
SOLOMON: Really? Oh, I should look into that. I need classified information.
Connie - come on, you really do look good.
(He looks at her. She looks back at him and finally presses the interoffice
call button.)
CONNIE WILES: Jones, clear my schedule.
(She looks at SOLOMON.)
CONNIE WILES: You're buying me lunch.
CUT TO:
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION - HALLWAY -- DAY]
(The elevator doors open and NIKKO walks out. He holds a basketball in one hand
and a towel in the other. He's dressed in an old sweatshirt with the hood over
his head. Without looking where he's going, he bumps into VINCENT.)
VINCENT: Hey, watch where you're going ... man.
(VINCENT turns and takes a look at NIKKO. He notices the bruise.)
VINCENT: Looks like you already walked into the wrong side of someone else.
(He pushes the hood away from NIKKO'S face and walks around him, assessing him.
Without a word, NIKKO walks on.)
VINCENT: Nikko, wait!
CUT TO:
[INT. ROOM -- DAY]
(VINCENT picks up two rocks. He turns around and walks toward NIKKO.)
VINCENT: Hold your arms straight out to the side. Feet together. Back
straight.
NIKKO: What are these?
VINCENT: These are rocks. If I'm going to fast for you, just let me know. All
you have to do is hold on to them.
(VINCENT puts one rock in each of NIKKO'S outstretched hands.)
NIKKO: Look, I thought you were going to teach me how to fight.
VINCENT: Focus. It's the number one weapon in your arsenal.
NIKKO: Yeah well, I landed a couple of jabs. So.
VINCENT: Oh. Apparently the other guy did too. Besides, fighting is not going
to solve your problems.
NIKKO: Well, who says I've got problems.
(Suddenly, VINCENT turns and unexpectedly moves to punch NIKKO in the face.
Instinctively, NIKKO takes a step backward and drops the rocks.)
NIKKO: Are you crazy?
VINCENT: You failed. Your goal was not to drop the rocks.
NIKKO: You were going to punch me in the face.
VINCENT: Just because I lashed out at you, doesn't mean I was going to hit you.
NIKKO: This is stupid.
VINCENT: What's stupid - is you trying to take out your frustrations with your
father on some poor guy at a pick-up game.
(NIKKO doesn't say anything.)
VINCENT: Try again.
(NIKKO sighs and picks up the rocks.)
NIKKO: All right? Now, are you going to teach me some moves? I mean so far
all I've learned is how to hold some rocks.
(Suddenly, VINCENT jumps up and kicks at NIKKO. NIKKO fights his instinct and
moves slightly backward; he doesn't drop the rocks.)
(NIKKO swallows.)
VINCENT: Better.
(NIKKO doesn't move, but concentrates.)
VINCENT: Now this time, don't let me keep you from your goal, whatever I do.
You ready?
(NIKKO nods.)
(VINCENT walks to NIKKO'S right ear and whispers.)
VINCENT: Your father loves you.
NIKKO: (murmurs) Well, he's got a nice way of showing it.
(VINCENT steps behind NIKKO and speaks into his other ear.)
VINCENT: He's scared to death of losing you the way he lost your mother.
NIKKO: That's just his excuse for not wanting me around.
(VINCENT moves around to look at NIKKO directly face to face.)
VINCENT: Be strong, Nikko. If you really want to be part of this team, don't
let him push you away.
NIKKO: Look, these are getting kind of heavy. What are they supposed to do
anyway?
VINCENT: I'm not sure exactly. I saw it in a kung fu movie once. It looked
really cool.
(NIKKO shakes his head and puts his arms down. VINCENT puts a friendly hand on
NIKKO'S head.)
CUT TO:
[INT. DEPT OF ENERGY - CONNIE'S OFFICE -- DAY]
(CONNIE and SOLOMON have lunch.)
CONNIE WILES: You know, when I said lunch, I meant the kind with the tablecloth
and maybe a nice glass of chardonnay.
SOLOMON: Just try that.
(He puts a chopstick full of noodles into her mouth. She eats.)
SOLOMON: See? Isn't that good? Look, I'll make it up to you when I get back,
all right? I know a nice little place in Kabul, it's perfect for a weekend
getaway. Very reasonable rates right now. Or we could just, you know, have
dinner at your place.
CONNIE WILES: We did dinner at my place. Which is why you're lucky we're even
having lunch.
(CONNIE works on the computer.)
CONNIE WILES: Okay, I'm in. What am I looking for?
SOLOMON: All right. The Chilton Plateau. Now I need everything you've got -
geological records, arial research, sat recon, the works.
(As the map of Antarctica pops up on the screen, so too does a Security Alert
message box. It reads:
SECURITY ALERT
FILE: CHILTON PLATEAU, ANTARCTICA
USER: CONNIE WILES
(The camera pans backward and we're at someone else's desk. MARSHALL FRANKLIN
picks up the phone and presses a button.)
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: It's Franklin. He's here.
(Cut back to: CONNIE WILES' computer monitor.)
CONNIE WILES: All G8 nations own a piece of the action. We're blue. Russia's
red. England, France, Japan. Everybody has dibs to whatever happens to be
under their particular slice of the ice. It's kind of fascinating to think the
re's a whole continent under there no-one's ever seen with all those glaciers.
SOLOMON: Who's got dips on this little black area right here?
CONNIE WILES: Well, it's under U.S. Jurisdiction, but it's earmarked
Department of Energy.
SOLOMON: Why is the D.O.E. so interested in the Chilton Plateau?
CONNIE WILES: Why is Solomon Zond so interested in the Chilton Plateau?
SOLOMON: Trust me, if I find what I'm looking for, you're going to be running
this place with what I'm going to bring back for you.
CONNIE WILES: Oh, if I had a dollar for every time some lonely geologist
wandered in here ...
SOLOMON: (gruffly) I'm not "lonely".
CONNIE WILES: ... and tried to ...
SOLOMON: (mumbles) ... and I'm not a geologist, are you kidding me?
(The phone rings. CONNIE answers it.)
CONNIE WILES: Stop. Stop!
SOLOMON: You stop.
CONNIE WILES: (to phone) Connie Wiles. Oh, hello Marshall. What can I ...
yeah, he's right here with me. All right sure. We'll be waiting for you.
(She hangs up.)
SOLOMON: Marshall? Not Marshall Franklin? You hired that idiot?
CONNIE WILES: That idiot hired me. He's my boss.
SOLOMON: He's your boss? How can you -? (realizes) Wait a minute. I never
made an appointment with you. Nobody should know that I'm here. I think we
just set off some alarm bells. (He grabs his things and heads for the door.)
Don't tell them why I came in here.
CONNIE WILES: But Solomon, I can't just -
SOLOMON: Yes, you can just. I don't trust him.
CONNIE WILES: He's my boss.
SOLOMON: I don't care. He's answering to someone other than the United States
Government. He knew I was here because he was expecting me.
CONNIE WILES: What are you talking about?
SOLOMON: Look, that's all I can tell you right now. Just get that off your
computer screen and forget I was ever here.
(SOLOMON opens the door and walks out. CONNIE clears her computer screen.)
FADE TO BLACK.
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION - OFFICE -- DAY]
(JULIET paces and questions NIKKO about his lessons for the day.)
JULIET: So, what do you think Dante was trying to convey about the human
condition when he made the inner circle ice instead of fire?
NIKKO: Just because you're already in hell, doesn't mean things can't get
worse.
JULIET: Right.
(A door opens and everyone makes their way into the main office, each carrying a
travel bag. NIKKO sits up and watches the movement.)
NIKKO: What's going on?
CALVIN: Change of plans.
MAGGIE: Your father just got back.
CALVIN: We are out of here tonight.
MAGGIE: Juliet, I need your gear.
NIKKO: Well, so that's just that - you guys just leave without me?
VINCENT: The situation's become more urgent.
NIKKO: Where is he?
VINCENT: Uh-oh.
(NIKKO heads into the library where SOLOMON is finishing packing.)
NIKKO: Dad?
SOLOMON: Not right now, Nikko.
NIKKO: I just want to know what's going on.
SOLOMON: Everything's fine.
NIKKO: Will you stop doing that?
SOLOMON: Doing what?
NIKKO: This whole "Shelter Nikko" thing. I can handle a crisis.
SOLOMON: Look, there is no crisis.
NIKKO: Oh right.
(SOLOMON takes his gear and heads back to his desk. NIKKO leans forward, ready
to try a different approach.)
NIKKO: Dad, do you remember that time in Brazil with mom? When our camp got
hit by that flash flood?
SOLOMON: Yeah.
NIKKO: Yeah. I was the only one on the side of the river that lead back to the
village. And you told me that I had to get help. Me. Dad, I was seven years
old the middle of the jungle and you trusted me. I just - I don't know what
happened. You know, you used to believe in me.
(NIKKO turns around and leaves the room. He walks past the others who are
getting their gear together in the center of the room. MAGGIE looks up at a
dejected NIKKO walk past by them.)
SOLOMON: Nikko ...
NIKKO: Hey, have fun, Mag. Keep your toes warm, all right?
MAGGIE: Look. We don't all agree with him, you know? But part of being on a
team means learning to trust your captain.
NIKKO: Even if you know he's wrong?
MAGGIE: Trust him to discover it for himself.
NIKKO: Yeah, and when exactly does hell freeze over?
SOLOMON: All right everyone, final briefing. Let's go.
(NIKKO doesn't turn around.)
SOLOMON: (louder specifically to NIKKO) I said "everyone".
(NIKKO stops and without a word, turns around to join the group.)
SOLOMON: All right. Dorna knew that I was paying the Department of Energy a
visit. Now I always suspected Franklin was working with them. That means
they've got someone working on the inside and our timeframe just got crunched.
Now, I know you've all been training very hard for this. But I need someone to
stay behind. Now this doesn't mean that I think any less of you or that you are
not a full member of this team.
(He turns and looks around the room.)
SOLOMON: Understood?
(NIKKO looks up at his dad.)
SOLOMON: Maggie, you'll stay here. I need you to coordinate the data we send
back in real time. We can't afford to lose a second while we're down there.
(MAGGIE looks over at NIKKO who looks around, completely in shock.)
MAGGIE: Aye, aye, Captain.
(MAGGIE turns and leaves the group.)
SOLOMON: Juliet, you've got EMT training, right?
JULIET: Um, certified. But I don't have the type of -
SOLOMON: That's good enough for me. You just got bumped up to medic.
(JULIET nods.)
SOLOMON: Everyone else can start loading this gear in the cars. We leave in an
hour. Let's go.
(Everyone picks up their bags and heads out.)
NIKKO: Uh, dad, uh ...
SOLOMON: You'd better pack.
NIKKO: Yeah.
(NIKKO turns and runs up the stairs. SOLOMON stops him.)
SOLOMON: Oh, and by the way, if I remember right, you came back in the jungle
for us after the flood with the Brazilian National Guard. Who promptly deported
us for not having made the right bribes.
NIKKO: (retorts) Well, that's what you get for not being thorough.
(NIKKO bounds up the stairway. SOLOMON smiles and shakes his head as he turns
and heads back to the office.)
CUT TO:
[INT. DEPT OF ENERGY -- FRANKLIN'S OFFICE -- NIGHT]
(MARSHALL FRANKLIN reaches onto his desk and turns the desk lamp off. The table
lamp near the couch turns on. TOLLAN is sitting there.)
TOLLAN: How's the leg, Marshall?
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Tollan. What are you doing here?
TOLLAN: Well, I thought I'd bring you your medication - personally, this week.
(TOLLAN stands up and walks over to MARSHALL'S desk. He holds up a small vial
and reaches into his pocket and throws several syringes onto the desk.)
(MARSHALL stares at it for a moment, then reaches for the syringes. He puts
them in his jacket inside pocket.)
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: What do you want?
TOLLAN: A jet registered to Solomon Zond just left U.S. Air space headed for
Antarctica.
(TOLLAN sits on the edge of MARSHALL'S desk.)
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: I've already told you everything I know about that.
(TOLLAN stands up and takes a step even closer to MARSHALL.)
TOLLAN: Hmph?
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Perhaps I could help you even more if I knew what it was we
were protecting.
TOLLAN: Secrets.
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: What kind of secrets?
TOLLAN: The kind that belong to us. Send someone. (beat) Now.
CUT TO:
[EXT. PLANE - EVENING]
CALVIN: (v.o.) No I was, I was a sixteen year old freshman in college.
[INT. PLANE (MOVING)]
(CALVIN talks about how he met SOLOMON to JULIET and NIKKO. The others sit and
overhear.)
CALVIN: You know? And your dad was my introduction to archeology professor.
And I don't know, I just got hooked, you know? I thought, maybe if I knew where
I came from I could figure out where I was going.
NIKKO: All right, let me guess, you're probably one of those - sit at the front
of the class, clean the eraser, extra credit ubergeek type, right?
CALVIN: Exactly.
(The plane hits some turbulence and CALVIN reacts to it.)
CALVIN: Whoa!
(NIKKO reaches over and puts a hand on his shoulder.)
NIKKO: Hey, easy Chuck Yeager. Just a little bump.
SOLOMON: Maggie ... we're hitting some bad weather here. What are we looking
at?
INTERCUT WITH:
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION]
MAGGIE: Doppler shows some nasty activity hanging over the coast. Could be
rough.
SOLOMON: You still sorry I asked you to stay behind?
MAGGIE: I'll be thinking of you when I take a nice hot bath tonight.
SOLOMON: I bet.
MAGGIE: (static) Solomon? Solomon, are you there?
(SOLOMON hangs up. VINCENT walks in.)
SOLOMON: What's going on?
VINCENT: We're almost at the landing site.
SOLOMON: It's getting rough.
(SOLOMON steps up to the front; VINCENT looks at the others in their seats.
CALVIN looks worried; NIKKO is enjoying himself.)
(The plane continues to hit turbulence. NIKKO absently runs a coin on the back
of his knuckles. JULIET notices the trick.)
CALVIN: Okay, that one wasn't so little.
JULIET: Hey, that was really good. It's really beautiful.
NIKKO: Yeah, my mom gave it to me when I was a kid. I used to follow her
around and she'd kind of take me on whatever she was -
JULIET: (nervously) You uh, ever have a ride like this?
NIKKO: No, this, this? No, this is nothing, man. One time we were in a four
seater, Fiji to Samoa in a class three hurricane. Now that was a ride, let me
tell ya.
(CALVIN can't help but laugh at that thought.)
CALVIN: You just made that up, man.
NIKKO: Oh did I? Well can you prove that?
CALVIN: No I can't.
NIKKO: No? All right, well then shut up and let me calm down the lady here.
JULIET: Nikko ...
VINCENT: Hey guys, we're going to be landing soon. Buckle up.
(The plane hits more turbulence and the lights flicker off and on. The plane
suddenly lurches.)
NIKKO: Whoa!
JULIET: Oh my god. What was that?
(SOLOMON comes out from the front. VINCENT sees him.)
VINCENT: How bad is it?
SOLOMON: We've lost all instruments. We're on manual.
NIKKO: Dad, what the hell's going on?
SOLOMON: We're going to be making an emergency landing.
NIKKO: We're going to crash?
SOLOMON: No everything's going to be okay. Just buckle up!
(SOLOMON and VINCENT both take their seats.)
VINCENT: Keep it together, guys. Strap in tight.
(SOLOMON leans back in his seat and braces himself. CALVIN has his hands
clasped in front of him in desperate prayer.)
JULIET: Oh my god!
VINCENT: This is it. We're going to hit!
SOLOMON: Ugh!
JULIET: No!
(In the cockpit, the PILOT calls for help on the radio.)
PILOT: Mayday, mayday, repeat, mayday...
(The cockpit glass breaks.)
FADE TO BLACK.
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[EXT. ANTARCTICA -- DAY]
[INT. PLANE -- DAY]
(VINCENT climbs back into the plane through the large hole in the front.
SOLOMON watches as JULIET and NIKKO work on CALVIN.)
VINCENT: Solomon!
(SOLOMON gets up and heads for VINCENT.)
VINCENT: The pilot's dead.
SOLOMON: Any luck with the radio?
VINCENT: No. But I can tell you right now, it wasn't just the weather that
brought us down. All electronics are out. And whatever took out the
instruments on the plane, is messing with our gear as well.
(As he talks, JULIET checks CALVIN.)
SOLOMON: I thought it might be solar flare activity, but solar flares don't
usually last this long.
VINCENT: Could it be the Power Source?
NIKKO: Hey dad! Dad, Cal's coming to.
(SOLOMON heads back and looks down at CALVIN.)
SOLOMON: Hey, Cal! Hey Buddy, how are you doing? You hanging in there?
JULIET DROIL: I've got him in thermals. But I'm worried that he's going into
shock because of the concussion. There may be internal bleeding, but I can't
tell for sure.
VINCENT: We've got to keep him warm.
SOLOMON: Can we move him?
JULIET: Well, we can rig him up to something.
VINCENT: What are you thinking?
(SOLOMON stands and heads back to VINCENT.)
SOLOMON: (to VINCENT) Look, we have no flares and no communication. If the
temperature keeps dropping, Calvin's dead. The rest of us go hypothermic in 24
hours, at best.
NIKKO: Hey Dad, what about the Power Source? Remember Shakelton's crew? It
kept them warm.
VINCENT: Could be our only shot.
SOLOMON: All right.
(SOLOMON and VINCENT both head back to JULIET and NIKKO.)
SOLOMON: Listen to me, Vincent and I are going to take him down. You guys stay
right here. It's not much, but this is shelter.
NIKKO: No, you'll never make it down the ice wall with him like this. You'll
need at least three climbers to make the descend.
JULIET: Four would be even better.
SOLOMON: No, listen to me. It's at least six kilometers to the site.
VINCENT: And in this weather, six k's going to feel like a hundred.
NIKKO: (stands up) Look, if we split up, Cal's not going to make it.
(SOLOMON thinks about it.)
CUT TO:
[EXT. ANTARCTICA -- DAY]
(Aerial view of the crash site and plane. Just beyond is a small line of people
making their way toward the mountains, four small figures and a fifth in a rig.)
CUT TO:
[INT. DEPT OF ENERGY - FRANKLIN'S OFFICE -- DAY]
(The door opens and CONNIE WILES walks inside.)
CONNIE WILES: Yes?
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Why didn't you tell me that Zond was going to Antarctica?
CONNIE WILES: Because I didn't know.
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: They've dropped off the radar, we think they've crashed. We
don't know their location. Now you seem to know Zond better than anyone in this
department. There's a fighter jet standing by that'll get you to the continent
in three hours. And a military transport waiting for you when you get there.
CONNIE WILES: This is not within my classification.
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Well, your classification can change. That's what you want,
isn't it? Zond is trespassing in a restricted area and a lot of people are
going to be blaming you. He trusts you. I'm giving you a chance to undo this.
(He reaches out and grabs her hand.)
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Get this done for me, and I'll recommend you for a level
five promotion. Salary increase, bonuses, all kinds of benefits.
(She pulls her hand away from his grasp.)
CONNIE WILES: You're kidding? Right?
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Zond - and the entire contents of his aircraft are to be
returned to us as soon as possible. This is coming from the highest
authorities. Those are wolves you don't want to run with.
CONNIE WILES: Who are the wolves, Marshall? You obviously don't care if he's
dead. Who's ordering this?
(MARSHALL ignores the question.)
MARSHALL FRANKLIN: Bring back Solomon Zond.
(He turns and moves away.)
CUT TO:
[EXT. ANTARCTICA -- DAY]
(The group keeps going through the snow.)
VINCENT: Calvin's temperature is bottoming out, he doesn't have much time.
(SOLOMON looks up ahead.)
SOLOMON: There's a ridge just up ahead. That's got to be it.
VINCENT: Come on, then. Let's go.
CUT TO:
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION -- MORNING]
(The phone rings. MAGGIE slept all night in the office chair. She reaches out
and answers it.)
MAGGIE: Solomon?
CONNIE WILES: (from phone) Maggie ... Maggie ...
MAGGIE: Solomon?
INTERCUT WITH:
[INT. MILITARY PLANE (MOVING) - DAY]
CONNIE WILES: It's Connie Wiles. I need your help.
MAGGIE: Like the help you gave Solomon in your office yesterday?
CONNIE WILES: I know he's headed for Antarctica. I need you to give me his
destination.
MAGGIE: They hit a storm and I lost radio contact. I haven't heard from them
in hours.
CONNIE WILES: There's a good chance they went down, Maggie. We can't find the
plane. I'm on my way down there with a rescue team and I need to know the exact
coordinates of his destination. Look, I understand your loyalty. But if they
all freeze to death down there, you're going to have no one left to be loyal to.
CUT TO:
[EXT. ANTARCTICA - CREVASSE -- DAY]
(Leaning over the side of the crevasse, SOLOMON pulls up the thermometer. He
looks at it.)
SOLOMON: Check out the thermometer reading. The lower it goes, the warmer it
gets.
NIKKO: Is this really it? Is this what mom was looking for?
VINCENT: That's if you believe a map that's 5,000 years old.
SOLOMON: If it wasn't for that map, this crevasse would stay covered for
another 5,000 years. All right, let's get Calvin down there.
(SOLOMON drops the thermometer ... and they lean over the ice crevasse to watch
the thermometer fall down into its depths. They wait ... and they watch ... )
VINCNENT: Are you sure he's worth it?
[CAMERA ANGLE CHANGE: LOOKING UP FROM WITHIN THE CREVASSE]
(The camera slowly pulls away taking the path of the falling thermometer.)
SOLOMON: I'm going to tell him you said that.
SHORT TIME CUT TO:
[INT. CREVASSE]
(The group sets up a rig and slowly lowers themselves into the crevasse.)
NIKKO: (to CALVIN) Hey, you're not going to freeze up on me, are you? You
know, a lot of people in these situations tend to panic. You know? Freeze up.
All right, poor choice of words in this situation.
(The winch suddenly cuts loose and the group falls a distance.)
NIKKO: Ugh!
(They jerk to a halt.)
NIKKO: Ugh! Dad!
VINCENT: Solomon! It's the winch. It's not going to hold.
SOLOMON: The remote won't work. Nikko, keep the litter steady.
NIKKO: I'm trying. All right, I've got it.
SOLOMON: Calvin, Calvin, are you ...
(Again, the winch suddenly cuts loose and the groups falls a substantial
distance.)
(They jerk to a halt. The rig CALVIN'S on slips and hangs awkwardly. CALVIN
isn't tied to the rope, but his netting is.)
SOLOMON: Nikko! Nikko, Is Cal's line going to hold?
NIKKO: Not if we drop again. He's just hanging by the netting.
(NIKKO flips over and makes his way down the rope to where CALVIN hangs.)
SOLOMON: What are you doing?
NIKKO: There's no time.
SOLOMON: No, Nikko, wait!
NIKKO: There's no time, dad!
VINCENT: Nikko!
(SOLOMON glances worriedly up at the holding. NIKKO reaches CALVIN.)
NIKKO: Hey, what a mess, huh?
CALVIN: I'm too heavy, you're going to have to cut me loose.
NIKKO: No, no.
CALVIN: It's one dead or three ...
NIKKO: (corrects) There's five. All right? There's five of us.
CALVIN: Five ... (realizes) Five?
NIKKO: Give me your arm.
CALVIN: I can't.
NIKKO: (egging him on) Come on Cal, please. Come on, don't wuss out on me
now, you can do this. You have to give me your arm.
(Everyone stays as steadily as they can. SOLOMON glances up at the winch, then
back down at NIKKO and CALVIN.)
(CALVIN tries to grab NIKKO'S arm. The winch gives out again and they fall a
distance.)
(They jerk to a halt.)
(CALVIN is holding on to NIKKO'S hand.)
NIKKO: All right, come on. Hook up, you have to hook up. Your arm is slipping.
(CALVIN looks down.)
CALVIN: I can't do it.
NIKKO: Come on. I know you can. I promise I'll never call you "Chuck" again,
please.
(CALVIN turns to look at NIKKO. He reaches up with his hook and tries to hook
it on to NIKKO'S hook.)
NIKKO: Come on! You almost got it, you almost got it.
(He gets it.)
NIKKO: Yeah!
(NIKKO climbs back right side up.)
NIKKO: We're good dad, we're good.
SOLOMON: All right, hold on Nikko.
(Once again, the winch starts to descend.)
SOLOMON: Okay, there it goes.
CUT TO:
[INT. MILITARY AIRPLANE (MOVING) -- DAY]
(Inside the plane, CONNIE WILES leans back against the plane wall. She watches
as the SOLDIERS arm themselves.)
SOLDIER: We're over the landing zone. It's going to get rough, ma'am.
CUT TO:
[INT. CREVASSE -- DAY]
(NIKKO and CALVIN are the first to descend.)
NIKKO: Ugh! All right, we're almost there.
NIKKO: All right, easy, easy.
(CALVIN reaches the bottom. NIKKO hits the bottom soon after.)
NIKKO: All right, we're down.
SHORT TIME CUT TO:
[INT. CREVASSE -- CONTINUOUS]
(Everyone is down on the bottom; CALVIN is back in his rig.)
NIKKO: You got it?
(JULIET is checking CALVIN out.)
SOLOMON: How's he doing?
JULIET: Well he's up a degree. But still way below normal.
NIKKO: Well this place ought to keep him warm.
(He takes off his head gear and wipes his forehead with the back of his hand.)
NIKKO: It's boiling in here.
CALVIN: Where are we?
SOLOMON: Hey, that's a good sign.
NIKKO: Hey don't worry buddy. We're taking you to the tropics.
VINCENT: I say we leave him for the penguins.
CALVIN: I can take a few penguins.
(Everyone laughs. CALVIN suddenly gets quiet.)
JULIET: Hey ...
SOLOMON: Cal? (He checks CALVIN.) He's out. There's nothing we can do for
him now, except wait. Hopefully he can hold on long enough until help gets
here. Maggie'll be looking for us.
(SOLOMON stands up and walks toward VINCENT.)
VINCENT: That could take a while. I suggest we get our bearings.
(They two head down the cavern and check out the passages. They turn here and
there and find themselves in a large cavern where they discover something quite
unexpected.)
SOLOMON: A pyramid. (sighs) Okay. You don't see this everyday.
FADE TO BLACK.
(COMMERCIAL SET)
FADE IN.
[INT. MAIN CAVERN]
(Camera opens on the pyramid. Everyone's moved into this cavern. JULIET tends
to CALVIN; NIKKO helps his dad find the bottom of the pyramid as he holds the
camera line.)
SOLOMON: All right, here we go. Let's see what we've got. We've let over a
hundred feet of fibre optic line and I'm still seeing pyramid.
NIKKO: You mean this isn't the bottom?
SOLOMON: We're still on solid ice. This chamber has just been calcified from
centuries of mineral deposits because of the temperature differentiation. This
is unbelievable!
(NIKKO falls silent.)
SOLOMON: You did really good out there today.
(NIKKO looks at SOLOMON.)
NIKKO: Thanks. I got to tell you though, dad, I was scared. I really was.
SOLOMON: I know you were. But that's when it counts.
(Off to the side, CAL coughs. SOLOMON and NIKKO turn to look at him.)
NIKKO: Cal's not going to make it, is he?
(Rather than answer him, SOLOMON looks at NIKKO'S eye.)
SOLOMON: Let me see your eye.
(NIKKO turns his head.)
SOLOMON: The bruising's almost all gone.
(SOLOMON brushes it aside.)
(Suddenly, CALVIN sits up and wakes up violently. He fights out of his
restraints. SOLOMON rushes over to help JULIET push CALVIN down back into his
bedding.)
SOLOMON: Calvin, whoa!
CALVIN: (struggling) Get them off me! Get them off me!
SOLOMON: Cal! Hey! Easy, easy ...
JULIET: You're okay.
(CALVIN sits up.)
CALVIN: There's no chance we're poolside in palm beach right now, is there?
JULIET: Not quite.
CALVIN: Ugh! Ugh! Oh god. No, I was having these dreams. There were like
these little penguins. They were all attacking me and - we crashed. I fell.
You -
(CALVIN points at JULIET, trying to remember.)
CALVIN: You kissed me.
(JULIET definitely pushes CALVIN back into his bed.)
JULIET: Whoa, no.
CALVIN: No, you so - okay... oh.
(JULIET checks CALVIN'S temperature.)
JULIET DROIL: Temperature's normal. Vitals are stable. He shouldn't be this
good. He shouldn't be good at all.
SOLOMON: Whoa, whoa, just lay down. You've been through a lot. Calvin!
CALVIN: Oh, no, got to get it off ...
(CALVIN reaches up and takes off the neck brace. SOLOMON and JULIET try to stop
him.)
SOLOMON: No, no, whoa!
CALVIN: No, I feel good. Actually, I feel great.
NIKKO: Dad, what just happened?
(SOLOMON turns to look at NIKKO, thinking. VINCENT watches him carefully.
SOLOMON stands up and walks over to the pyramid. VINCENT is close next to him.)
SOLOMON: The Olmec legend. How did that go again?
VINCENT: It was said to possess the Power of God.
CUT TO:
[EXT. ANTARCTICA - ABOVE GROUND -- DAY]
(The MILITARY PLANE has landed. The SOLDIERS make their way across the snow;
CONNIE WILES is with them.)
CUT TO:
[INT. CAVERN TOP OF PYRAMID]
(VINCENT stretches over the pyramid, holding the ion reader as far as he can
get.)
CALVIN: All right Vincent, if you give me the positive ion reading I can
calculate the rate of flow. No. Vincent, you're too close. Listen to me, no
look. You can't touch it otherwise you'll get an inaccurate reading, all right?
Now start over.
VINCENT: You're really enjoying this aren't you?
CALVIN: Yeah, but just a little.
NIKKO: All right, exactly how far down does this thing go?
SOLOMON: Just give me a minute. I'm comparing the crown of this pyramid with
the largest one at Giza.
NIKKO: The Egyptian Pyramids? Dad, those things are huge.
(SOLOMON turns around to look at VINCENT.)
VINCENT: What's wrong?
SOLOMON: They're identical.
CALVIN: I really appreciate you guys keeping me alive for this. Hey, we are
going to win every scientific prize there is. Seriously. Do you guys want to
know what this thing really is?
NIKKO: I thought it was a power source.
CALVIN: Yeah, it is. But in this totally mind-blowing way. The centrifugal
force of the earth's rotation through space creates an enormous magnetic energy,
right? This pyramid is some kind of machine that can harness that energy.
NIKKO: So gravity is it's energy source.
CALVIN: Well yeah, if you want to dummy it down like that, sure.
NIKKO: You guys, this is amazing. I mean, think about all the problems this
could solve.
VINCENT: Yeah. And think of all the new ones it could create.
SOLOMON: The only real question for me is - who built it? And why?
CALVIN: Get this - right now all the readings are static. Positive ions and
negative ions are in perfect equilibrium. Nothing's happening.
JULIET: Cal, how about dumbing that one down for me?
CALVIN: It's not on. It's like this thing's in some kind of stand-by mode.
SOLOMON: If this thing can kick off enough energy to melt a glazier in stand-by
mode, I can only imagine how much energy it could produce at full blast.
VINCENT: Environmental disaster at best. Weapon of mass destruction at worst.
NIKKO: Mass destruction? Maybe that's what happened to the people who built
it? I mean, besides if this thing's so dangerous, why do we spend time looking
for it in the first place?
SOLOMON: To stop Dorna from getting it first. And to deliver it into the right
hands.
VINCENT: Yes. But who's hands are the right hands?
(SOLOMON thinks about it for a moment.)
SOLOMON: We take this top piece back with us. We study it. And then we'll
make some decisions.
CUT TO:
[INT. CREVASSE]
(The SOLDIERS make their way down into the crevasse.)
CUT TO:
[INT. CAVERN TOP OF PYRAMID]
(VINCENT and SOLOMON have thoroughly wrapped the top pyramid with the netting.
VINCENT steps back.)
VINCENT: Okay.
SOLOMON: I don't see any contact point. I say we just lift it up and slide it
across.
NIKKO: Hey, dad.
(NIKKO motions for SOLOMON to see what he sees on the monitor.)
SOLOMON: Hold on, Nikko.
(SOLOMON starts wrapping his arm around the rope getting ready to lift the top
of the pyramid off.)
NIKKO: No dad, come here, you've got to see this. This ultra sound is sending
back images and this entire pyramid is just layers. Suspended one on top of the
other. Just like the tip.
CALVIN: What?
NIKKO: No, I know it, it must weigh tons. But they're just floating one piece
on top of the other. It's like some giant cake, I don't know.
(CALVIN thinks about what NIKKO'S saying and it hits him. He surges to his
feet.)
CALVIN: Wait, Dr. Zond, don't! We can't move it. Damn it! Why didn't we
think? It's a magnetic balancing act. Positive charge against positive.
Negative against negative.
SOLOMON: That's how it floats.
CALVIN: It would be like building a skyscraper and not holding the pieces
together. If the magnetic charge is broken -
SOLOMON: It'll destroy itself.
VINCENT: Good eyes, Nikko. And to think you weren't going to let him come
along.
SOLOMON: Well I don't think we'll be taking any souvenirs home with us, huh?
MILITARY PATROL: I want to see your hands! Now! You're under arrest for
criminal trespass on a United States Military Installation.
SOLOMON: Military Installation? You guys might want to think about putting up
a few signs around here.
CONNIE WILES: Dr. Zond, I have orders to place you under arrest. If you
resist, I have orders to use whatever force is necessary to detain you.
SOLOMON: Oh well, since you put it that way.
CONNIE WILES: We also have orders to confiscate any archeological materials you
may have uncovered.
SOLOMON: Connie, you are on the wrong side of this. I know who Franklin works
for.
CONNIE WILES: And so do I.
SOLOMON: Really?
CONNIE WILES: I work for the United States Government. This material cannot be
allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Do you understand what I'm saying?
SOLOMON: Yeah, I think I do.
VINCENT: Perhaps we should give the lady what she wants.
SOLOMON: I think you're right.
VINCENT: It's the only way.
SOLOMON: It's all yours.
(SOLOMON tosses the rope to the SOLDIER and steps back. The SOLDIER takes the
rope and start to pull on it. SOLOMON, VINCENT and the rest of the Veritas team
takes another step back.)
(As soon as he pulls on the rope, the top of the pyramid rises a bit. Intense
light and a magnetic pulse shoots out in a circular arc away from the pyramid.
The cavern starts to shake. The Veritas team leaves the cavern.)
NIKKO: I don't think you should have done that.
VINCENT: I'm not sure about you guys, but we're out of here!
CONNIE WILES: Get the plane ready. We're coming up!
CUT TO:
[EXT. ANTARCTICA - AERIAL VIEW]
(The ice and snow beneath start to break.)
CUT TO:
[INT. MILITARY PLANE (MOVING) - DAY -- CONTINUOUS]
(SOLOMON, NIKKO and everyone, except CALVIN, watches from the window of the
moving plane.)
NIKKO: We should be filming this.
VINCENT: We are.
(In his hand, VINCENT holds a small camera which he presses against the window
to record the event. Down below, the ice and show breaks to reveal the pyramid
underneath. In the next instant, the pyramid collapses and goes up in a puff of
black smoke.)
(SOLOMON takes off his hat and sighs. CONNIE moves to sit next to SOLOMON.)
CONNIE WILES: Solomon, what the hell did we just destroy?
SOLOMON: Answers.
CONNIE WILES: Yeah, too bad. 'Cause all I have are questions.
SOLOMON: Well, don't ask them. The less you know, the better. They think
you're with them. You want to keep it that way.
CONNIE WILES: What about you?
SOLOMON: I'm going to keep searching. Keep trying to put together pieces of
the puzzle.
CUT TO:
[INT. TRUTH FOUNDATION - LIBRARY -- NIGHT]
(By the light of the desk lamp, SOLOMON leafs through HALEY'S journal. There's
a light knock on the door.)
NIKKO: Dad?
(SOLOMON looks up to see NIKKO standing in the doorway.)
SOLOMON: Hey.
(NIKKO walks into the room and sits on the edge of the desk.)
NIKKO: You, uh, still working?
SOLOMON: Yeah.
NIKKO: You okay?
SOLOMON: (nods) Mm-hmm. You know, when your mother and I would go on a dig
and we'd find something ... a little artifact ... We'd stay up all night
studying it. All night thinking about what it meant and what the people before
us knew - what we could learn from them. You feel immortal in that moment.
Like you could - like you could live forever.
NIKKO: Yeah. I miss her too.
SOLOMON: Yeah, I know you do.
NIKKO: How do you do this? I mean - we find something so amazing, you know,
and then is just - it's gone.
SOLOMON: Is that what you think happened down there?
NIKKO: I saw it vanish under ten miles of ice, Dad. We'll never know the
truth, everything's gone.
SOLOMON: Look, we lost something big down there, no doubt. But we found the
Truth, Nikko.
NIKKO: What
SOLOMON: Look, Connie got our hardware, not our data. We've got everything,
son. And we proved that your mom was right. The Power Source was there, just
like she thought. Now the only thing that we need to do is just keep asking the
questions.
NIKKO: (realizes) "We"?
SOLOMON: Well yeah, you didn't think that I'd be doing this all by myself, did
you? (NIKKO laughs) Get over here. Pull up a chair.
(SOLOMON moves aside to make room for NIKKO, who rushes over and pulls up a seat
next to his father and more excited than ever.)
SOLOMON: Are you ready?
NIKKO: I'm ready.
(SOLOMON turns to his laptop.)
NIKKO: All right, let's bring on the flood.
SOLOMON: Check this out. See how the markings here correspond with the
sequence ...
FADE OUT.
========================
THE END
========================
Note: These episodes are shorter than normal being that the network asked that
additional time be cut from the program to allow for special news reports due to
the war coverage, should there be any. Being that there were none, the extra
time was used for more commercials. These transcripts are from the original
show airings.
Courtesy of http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html
Contact the Transcriptionist at (intrepidly002@yahoo.com)
Please do not archive this transcript without permission from the
Transcriptionist.
========================
BEGINNING/TITLE CREDITS
========================
VERITAS: THE QUEST
1X02: ANTARCTICA
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 02/03/2003
TRANSCRIBED FROM ABC
Starring
ALEX CARTER as Dr. Solomon Zond
RYAN MERRIMAN as Nicholas "Nikko" Zond
COBIE SMULDERS as Juliet Droil
ERIC BALFOUR as Calvin Banks
CYNTHIA MARTELLS as Maggie
and
ARNOLD VOSLOO as Vincent Siminou
Created by: PATRICK MASSET & JOHN ZINMAN
Guest Starring
AMY GODDARD as Connie Wiles
AIDAN DEVINE as Tollan
DANIEL KASH as Marshall Franklin
Producer: I.C. RAPOPORT
Co-Executive Producer: THANIA ST. JOHN
Co-Executive Producer: RICK KELLARD
Produced by: IAIN PATERSON
Executive Producer: CRAIG ZADAN
Executive Producer: NEIL MERON
Executive Producer: PATRICK MASSETT
Executive Producer: JOHN ZINMAN
Written by: PATRICK MASSETT & JOHN ZINMAN
Directed by: PERRY LANG
========================
END CREDITS
========================
Massett/Zinman Productions
Storyline Entertainment
Touchstone Television
Consulting Producer: BRYAN SPICER
Co-Producers: GABRIELLE STANTON
Co-Producers: HARRY WERKSMAN, JR.
Co-Starring
MALCOLM XERXES as Military Patrol
Directory of Photograph: DAVID MAXNESS, C.S.C.
Production Designer: MICHAEL NOVALNY
Edited by: DON CASSIDY
Production Manager: SUSAN MURDOCH
First Assistant Director: WOODY SIDAROUS
Second Assistant Director: ERIN WALKER
Casting by: TINA GERUSSI
Original Casting by: SHARON BIALY
Music by: JOHN NORDSTROM
Costume Designer: JOANNE HANSEN
Make-Up Artist: PATRICIA KEIGHRAN
Hair Stylist: CATHY SHIBLEY
Chief Lighting Technician: MICHAEL McDONALD
Key Grip: JONATHAN BILLINGS
Set Decorators: CAROLINE GEE
Property Master: ALAN MACMINN
Script Supervisor: DUG ROTSTEIN
Special Effects Coordinator: KAZ KOBIELSKI
Stunt Coordinator: MATT BIRMAN
Production Coordinator: JANET GAYFORD
Art Director: KENNETH WATKINS
Location Manager: HANK MALINS
Transportation Coordinator: GREG O'HARA
Post Production Supervisor: DOUGLAS WILKINSON
Visual Fx Supervisor: JON COMPFONS
Post Production Coordinators: DEANNA STRONG
Post Production Coordinators: BENJAMIN RAPAPORT
Music Supervisors: KEVIN EDELMAN / JUSTIN GOLDBERG
Production Sound Mixer: THOMAS HIDDERLEY
Sound Editors: JILL PURDY / CRAIG HENNIGAN
Re-Recording Mixers: ALLEN OMERAD / MIKE WAROMIUK
Music Editor: MOIRA MARGUIS
Video Post Production: Mania DSP
ACTRA
(c) 2003 Touchstone Television. All Rights Reserved.
Dated:07/12/2003~lky
http://www.webphilia.com/~anthology/wnp.html